Emerald Eyes
by Annette Roux
Summary: Harry Potter and Scarlett O'Hara came from different worlds, set at different times, but when Hermione comes up with a crazy plan to find the Golden Trio soulmates, these barriers shatter spectacularly. Despite recently beating Voldemort, Harry's about to meet his greatest challenge in the 16 year old Southern belle who's pining away for Ashley Wilkes. HPxSO, HGxRB, RWxSuellen.
1. Hermione's Brilliant Plan

**Emerald Eyes**

 **Harry Potter and Scarlett O'Hara came from different worlds, set at different times, but when Hermione comes up with a crazy plan to find the Golden Trio soulmates, these barriers shatter spectacularly. Despite recently beating Voldemort, Harry's about to meet his greatest challenge in the 16 year old Southern belle who's pining away for Ashley Wilkes. HPxScarlett, HGxRB, RWxSuellen.**

 **A/N: I've been reading a lot of GWTW fanfiction lately and in a fit of inspiration, came up with the following crossover idea – what if Scarlett O'Hara meets Harry Potter and not only that, but what if she was also actually a muggleborn witch? As an FYI, I'll be sticking to the movie version of the story as it's been forever since I read the book. I'll get back to my other HP story soon, but this one jumped up at me and I have to get it started. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Now for the disclaimer...I don't own GWTW or Harry Potter, they belong to their respective creators, nor do I seek to make any money off this story. I'm writing this for entertainment only and because mixing up characters can be a lot of fun.**

 **Chapter 1: Hermione's Brilliant Plan**

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived Twice and Defeater of Voldemort, sat restlessly in Hogwart's library trying to finish his last assignment for the week. McGonagall had made the small returning 8th year class practice transfiguring large items, such as desks, into similarly-sized items like cushioned chairs, then wanted a roll of parchment on the process. For Harry, the actual process wasn't too hard, but he could do without the actual writing about it. Hermione, now that the war was over, refused to let he or Ron copy off her anymore so he had to do things the hard way. She, of course, had already finished, was now running around the bookshelves looking for new material to study and he was waiting, curious to see what she would find next. Ron, who was back in the common room playing chess with Seamus, was not.

As usual, Ron's report wasn't even started and like clockwork, Hermione would be down his throat come Sunday night. It was due Monday so of course he would start to think about it right after dinner. He could picture it now... _Uh, Hermione. You finished the Transfiguration assignment, right? Can you let me look at it?_ After which she would snappishly reply, _Ronald! I told you I'm not letting you copy off me anymore! You need to learn for yourself!_ He could then imagine she would storm off to the library where she knew he wouldn't follow. Once that avenue was cut off, Ron would then turn to Harry and ask, _Hey mate! Can I take a look at yours?_ Of course he would give in as some things would never change.

That's why it really wasn't a surprise when his two best friends only lasted a month together after the war. Once the initial adrenaline wore off, so did their romantic feelings, which left them back to being friends. There was still an air of awkwardness between them, but it was getting better. Harry's relationship issues, however, were not.

After the war, he tried again with Ginny, but after a few months he realized she was more in love with his hero persona than she was with him as a person. She soaked up all the attention she could get as the Boy Who Lived's girlfriend and only wanted to spend time in the spotlight. Knowing he had a significant amount of funds stored up in Gringott's, she tried to manipulate him into buying her all sorts of trinkets as she claimed they would show off her status as his future lady. He had no desire to get married anytime soon and the constant pressure coming from her towards that end forced him to bring the relationship to an end instead. So after throwing the biggest temper tantrum known to man, she turned her back and is still to this day ignoring him. The last he knew, she was setting her sights on Neville, the brave leader of Dumbledore's Army and slayer of Nagini. As far as Harry was concerned, if he wanted her, she's all his.

Shaking off his mental detour, Harry again tried to focus on his essay and just as he was about to start the last paragraph, an excited Hermione suddenly drops a book down in front of him. After coughing due to the tremendous amount of dust released from the ancient book, he looks at his best friend who smiles sheepishly.

"Sorry, Harry. I was so overcome with excitement, I didn't think to dust it off. Oh, I can't believe I found this in the restricted section!"

Harry, arched an eyebrow at her in response and she kept babbling away.

"I'd have thought this book would be banned as it could be potentially dangerous, but the results would be amazing! I'm going to give it a try." Harry was confused as to what could be so bad that it was still available in the Hogwart's library.

"Hermione, slow down. What did you find?" After a quick charm to remove the remaining dust, she sat down and opened the book up to a specific page.

"Look at this and tell me what you see." Harry scanned the page and at the top he saw the following phrase in latin - _Finis est Amour Veri._ Curious, he kept reading.

 _Finis est amour veri. Love is our true destiny. Before you continue, please heed this warning. By completing the following ritual, you risk much. To find your soulmate, you must first be willing to not only transport yourself to another place, but also to another time. It is not guaranteed that your soulmate will be alive in your current era, as they could either exist sometime in the past or have yet to be born. Knowledge can be a powerful tool, but in the hands of the unprepared, it can cause much pain as how many are willing to make such a sacrifice? To find your soulmate, you must be willing to give up much to gain much more. If you are certain, proceed cautiously as this ritual will first allow you to see your soulmate and inform you exactly when and where they are. If they are in the past, you must decide if changing events is worth the risk to be with them. Be aware that bad things can happen to those who alter time. If they are in the present, you run the risk of knowing they may be a child or elderly, or may have even passed away, necessitating a trip to the past. If they are in the future, the only way to meet them is to allow yourself to age accordingly as there is no known way to transport yourself to the future, ritual or not. To know of your soulmate and not meet them will bring great and lasting emotional pain to the caster. If you are willing to risk all for love, follow the ritual and follow your destiny. You have been warned._

"Uh, Hermione. What made you look this up? I mean I know you and Ron didn't work out, but this seems really risky." Hermione turned her sad eyes to him, her face smudged with dirt from the stacks and her outrageously curly hair looking even more frizzed than normal.

"Oh, I starting doing some research on love seeing as it was such a powerful defense against Voldemort. I was curious to know how your mum protected you like she did so I started in the restricted section and found this book. As I was flipping through pages, I discovered this ritual and thought maybe I could go through with it. I haven't a family here anymore and thought maybe finding my soulmate would help me, especially after I leave Hogwarts."

Harry pondered this and sighed. She had given up so much to help him, what with erasing her parents' memories and shipping them off to Australia knowing it would be irreversible. He also had no family, really, because to him the Dursley's didn't count and the idea of finding someone who'd love him unconditionally was extremely appealing. He could see why she would want to try.

"Okay, I understand that as I'm in a similar boat, but are you willing to risk time travel? I know you had all that experience in third year, but are you ready to move to a different time if your soulmate is in the past? What if we both did the ritual and ended up in different time periods? I would miss my sister too much."

Hermione's sad eyes watered, but lit up knowing how much Harry cared for her, even if it was in the familal sense. She had always felt the same way about him.

"Well, we could do the first part of the ritual to find out, who, where, and when. Maybe if we are lucky we will end up together with our soulmates. Do you want to try?"

Harry, being the Gryffindor he was, made the impulsive decision to follow after Hermione and see what the could find out from the initial part. Maybe, just maybe, he could leave all this Boy Who Lived business behind and start over fresh in a new place, and maybe in a completely different time. The implications of this were huge. He grinned.

"So, who's going to tell Ron?"

* * *

"Bloody hell, you want to do WHAT!"

Hermione repeated herself, as she knew she'd need to because Ron's reaction really was predictable. The trio had taken up a remote corner of the Gryffindor common room and with a quick muffliato spell they could keep their conversation private.

"Harry and I want to conduct a ritual to see our soulmates, regardless of when or where they are. If we choose to complete the second part, we would actually be transported to them, which could mean time travel. How no one knows about this, I can't say, but it looked like the book had been sitting on the shelf in the restricted section since the time of the founders."

Ron scratched his head. "So how do you know we'd all end up together?" Harry grinned at him and slapped him on the back.

"That's the spirit, mate! We figured we'd do the first part of the ritual together and see if we'll end up in the same timeframe, then we could do the second part."

Hermione, usually the voice of reason for the trio, agreed with Harry. "Ronald, Harry and I don't have the same attachments here that you do, so we're willing to go, but you've got your family and I can't see Molly letting you out of her sight forever."

Ron thought for a moment then apparently came to a conclusion. "I believe she would if it had to do with true love. After losing Fred, I don't think she would try to keep me from finding happiness, even if it meant I couldn't come back, but if we could find a way to communicate back and forth, that would probably help."

The idea obviously sparked something in Hermione's mind and she lit up immediately. "Ron, that's brilliant! I think there is a way to possibly rig up a pair of mirrors like the ones Sirius had, but could also compensate for any distance and time constraints. Let me research this and if I can get my hands on a time turner, I'll be able to test my theory. But in the meantime, when do we want to proceed with stage one of the ritual? I can get everything together and start brewing the necessary potion right away. It only takes a week, but it must be used immediately."

Harry was all for starting as soon as possible, but wanted to know how Ron felt. He turned his gaze towards his friend who was clearly still churning everything over in his mind. In a sudden move, he put his arms around his two best friends shoulders.

"Let's do it! The Golden Trio has to end up together, anything else is just ridiculous. I hope that wherever we end up, they have good food as I'm still a growing boy you know." He grinned.

Hermione rolled her eyes and slapped him on the back of the head. "Only you can think of food when the prospect of finding your soulmate is right in front of you."

Ron just looked at her and replied, "Well if she's my soulmate, you know she'll appreciate a good meal as much as I do."

"Yes, Ronald, I think anything less would be catastrophic. So does this mean we're all in? I'll get the potion going and let you know when it's ready and in the meantime I'll work on the mirror situation and try to get a time turner through McGonagall. I'll have to tell her the part about building the mirrors, but I won't tell her exactly why the idea came to be, sorry Ron, but I'll make sure you get credit after the fact."

Ron was a bit surprised at that gesture. "No worries, Hermione. Just get them working and we'll do the ritual to see what happens." He started laughing. "I can't wait to see what we'll be up against next. After taking down Old Snakeface, it's getting kind of dull around here, don't ya think?"

Harry cringed a bit. "Yeah, well, I'm kinda hoping for a calm life with the girl of my dreams by my side. No offense that the girl wasn't Ginny, right mate?" Ron sighed.

"As much as I wanted to be your brother officially, unoffically, I think Ginny has lost her damn mind! How she pushed you as far as she did was seriously mental. Maybe Mum should have her checked over at Mungo's to make sure that the diary didn't mess with her more than we thought."

Harry shook his head sadly. "Perhaps you're right or maybe she's just always been mental when it comes to Harry Potter, the hero. Either way, I do think she should get some type of help, but I'll let you bring that up."

"Yeah, I can see how that'll go over well with Mum. Oh, by the way, I'm going to time travel to find my soulmate and I can never come back, but I think I'll be able to chat with you over a mirror. And Mum, you need to get Ginny checked out by a mind healer because we think she's mental."

Hermione interjected, "Well, let me get things going and I'll keep you both updated daily. When were ready for the ritual, we'll know better what we're dealing with, yes?"

Both boys chimed in unison, "Yes!"

* * *

As promised, Hermione was able to brew the potion during the following week and had informed Harry and Ron that is would be ready that evening. They all decided that since they were almost to the end of their tenure at Hogwart's, conducting the ritual's first part now wouldn't be too bad as they would only need to wait until graduation to complete part two. It was amazing that Hermione had enough time to fit in her extracurricular reseach as NEWTs were rapidly approaching.

"So, I figured we could perform the ritual in a little known deserted classroom on the fifth floor in a part of the castle that has long since been abandoned. I've been brewing the potion there and I've never seen a single person around. It's never even been part of our patrols as prefects." Of course, she was Head Girl this year, but everyone knew that would happen.

Harry nodded while absorbing that this was actually happening tonight. "Okay, so what do we need to do exactly? You mentioned the potion, but what else do we need to do?"

"Well, I'll divide the potion into three equal portions and then we each need to add three drops of our blood to our individual cauldrons. I will show you the incantation, which you need to chant while stirring three times clockwise. Once that's done, the surface of the liquid should turn into a mirror of sorts that will show us our soulmate and when the image clears, we can take a bit of the potion and drop it onto a piece of parchment. The name of the person and the exact time and place that we would travel to should show up as text. As soon as we have that, we can plan what to do next."

Ron shrugged. "Sounds easy. What's the downside to all this?" Hermione cringed a bit.

"Well, once we see our soulmate in the cauldron, we will have a strong pull to complete the second part, but we need to fight it, at least until after graduation. This pull will last for the rest of our lives until we can actually meet them in person so if anyone wants to back out, now's the time to speak up."

"Blimey, Hermione! You couldn't have told us that before! Harry, mate, are you sure you want to do this?"

Harry turned to his best friend with hopeful eyes. "Yes. I want to find her and if this is the only way to do it, that's what I'll do. I'm sorry, but I have a strong feeling that I need to do this and my gut reactions tend to be right, even when they seem wrong." Ron knew this to be true after being friends with Harry for so many years and he really couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life without his best mate.

"I'm with you, Harry. You, too, Hermione." She breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Alright. I need to run to Arithmancy now, but I'll meet up with you at dinner and then we'll sneak out tonight under your cloak, Harry. See you both, later."

Hermione headed off to class while the boys decided to spend their free period on the Quidditch pitch. They had one last match against Slytherin set for the following week so they decided to practice some new plays Harry came up with. He was seriously itching to outmaneuver Draco again and triumph over the snakes one last time.

* * *

"Ronald, you're stepping on my foot!"

"Sorry 'Mione, we're all too big for this thing anymore."

The trio had amazingly made it to the fifth floor corridor undetected before Hermione's foot was trampled by a larger-footed Ron.

"Okay, we're almost there." Hermione directed the group to the last door on the right and quickly ushered them through. Once inside, she quickly locked it and cast several privacy charms to aid in their staying undetected. She had done this continually throughout the brewing period and no one even noticed, not even McGonagall. She smiled at the thought she was being rather Slytherin about it all. Take that you bunch of inbred bigots!

Now that they were fairly secured, Hermione proceeded to divide the simmering potion into two additional cauldrons and turned to give further instructions.

"Now that we each have our potion, we are going to add three drops of blood, stir clockwise three times and chant the following phrase three times, one time per stir. Remember the incantation: ostendere veram caritatem, which means reveal my true love."

She had the boys practice saying the phrase until she was sure they had it right and then took a deep breath.

"We're ready. Now focus on what you need to do. I left parchment for each of you to add potion to once the image has cleared. Afterwards, we'll compare notes and see what we have." She was getting giddy now as she was so close to finding out who her other half is.

"Okay, on the count of three: one, two, three!"

Each of the trio added their blood, stirred and chanted, then waited for an image to appear.

For Ron, he saw who he considered to be a beautiful girl, perhaps fifteen, wearing an odd looking pink dress with silver accents. She had on a matching silver hat and was slyly speaking to another girl who was slightly older and wore a brownish/rust colored dress adorned with white lace. The girl in pink looked upset about something, but since he could only see her, he wondered what could have made her so angry. As he was pondering this question, the image faded from the cauldron. He quickly took a sample of the potion and dropped it on the parchment.

 _Suellen O'Hara, Twelve Oaks Plantation, in the vicinity of Jonesboro, GA, USA April 1861. Muggle._

Hermione waited impatiently as she saw the image form of a dashing man with dark hair, dark eyes and a neatly trimmed mustache standing at the bottom of a large staircase. He was looking upwards, with the hint of a smirk, as if he could see her through the mists of time. He was holding a glass of some type of beverage sprigged with mint. He had a sense of ease about him and as quickly as the image formed, it faded. She quickly applied some of the potion to her parchment.

 _Rhett Butler, Twelve Oaks Plantation, in the vicinity of Jonesboro, GA, USA April 1861. Of wizarding descent, half-blood, magic blocked by father during teenaged years. Subject unaware of background_.

For Harry, he was a bit afraid. He wanted to know, yet didn't, because this woman represented an unknown future. He hoped she would be all he dreamed of, but as he was considering this, the image of the most stunning girl he'd ever seen formed in his cauldron. She had dark hair, eyes as green as his, and was wearing the most unusual green and white dress. She had a wide brimmed hat perched on top of her head, secured under her chin with a long, green velvet bow and she was carrying what looked like a small black umbrella. She seemed to be very popular amongst the men there as they were flirting with her everywhere she turned. She also looked as if she was enjoying every second. He wondered what that could mean for his future, especially as she stared with dreamy eyes at an elegantly dressed man walking down a staircase. In his mind, she looked like trouble, but if he went back, she'd be his trouble so he'd need to prepare himself for anything. The vision soon faded and he added some potion to his parchment.

 _Scarlett O'Hara, Twelve Oaks Plantation, in the vicinity of Jonesboro, GA, USA April 1861. Muggleborn witch. Subject unaware of status._

Once the three had their results, they came together to compare their findings.

"Well, it looks like we'll all be headed to antebellum Georgia. This is good and bad. We'll be together, but we will be facing the advent of the American Civil War."

"Uh, Hermione, what exactly do you mean by war?" Harry was sick of fighting, but if his soulmate was facing a war, he wanted to be there to protect her.

"In muggle school, did you learn anything about American history?" Harry thought about it and shook his head no.

"Well, I was able to learn a bit and the American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865. It was fought between the Northern states, or the Yankees as they were called, and the Southern states, who were considered as the Confederates. It was a bloody mess and the aftermath was devastating on the South who ultimately lost the conflict. I can do some research if I can get to the library in muggle London so that we can be better prepared for our trip, that is if we are going to go..." She looked at Harry and Ron for their opinions.

"Well, 'Mione, I'm in. If you can get the mirrors working, I'll break it to Mum that we're all heading to the past. I don't think I should let her know about a pending war, but I can at least tell her we'll all be together."

Harry was all in. "I haven't changed my mind and I won't change it. As soon as graduation is over, I want to be ready to leave." Hermione agreed.

"Alright. We're going and it looks like we'll have a lot to do before we can leave. We'll need proper period clothing, accessories, money, knowledge of customs. Ugh. Anyway, think about what you want to take so I can make bags with undetectable extension charms. Harry, you'll need to decide if you want to take anything from Gringotts. I'll have to check and see what the banking situation was back then in Georgia as I know their economy collapsed after the war. We will be on the losing side so we need to be prepared for trouble. I'll also need to see what their magical government was like at the time, if it even existed at all. At least we have about two months left to plan." She smiled dreamily, obviously thinking of the man she saw in her cauldron. He certainly looked like trouble, but just the kind she needed.

"I can't wait to leave!"

 **A/N: Update - 2/25. I made some minor edits to help with the flow a bit and correct some grammar issues that looked ugly to me in the light of day. That's what I get for being hyped up on caffeine and throwing up a chapter in a few hours. Again, reviews are most welcome along with constructive criticism. This is just for fun and the love of writing. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Love is a Leap, Part 1

**Chapter 2: Love is a Leap, Part I**

Time passed quickly from the night of the ritual and Hermione was exhausted. Over the last month, she had torn through the school library a dozen times over in her quest to construct the mirrors. She had been so focused on her efforts that even Madam Pince was bewildered at her behavior.

The brains of the Golden Trio pushed herself tremendously hard to produce several prototypes before she finally had a functional set. Hermione discovered that she needed to keep tweaking the runes she carved around the frames one at a time. For each set built, she carefully etched the desired runes then gave one mirror to the boys as she kept the other.

Hermione had also managed to secure her begged for and borrowed time turner from McGonagall. Her beloved teacher had miraculously held on to the same one from third year as a "just in case of an apocalypse" backup measure during the war. With the turner now in hand, she repeatedly went back one hour, or exactly one turn, for each test run. Hermione figured if she couldn't make contact after only going back that far, she needed to focus on a new combination of runes. After much trial and error, she was finally able to break the time barrier. On that day, she jumped and danced for joy when she saw her friends' smiling faces.

"Hermione! How and when are ya?"

Ron had been waiting impatiently for this moment over the last month as he really wanted to stay in touch with the Weasley clan after they left. It was this thought that carried her through all the fatigue she'd experienced, not only with research, but from the added stress of NEWTs prep and a lack of sleep. Adding hours to her day using the time turner didn't help either. She figured she'd sleep better now that the mirrors were shaping up.

"Ron! Harry! I've only gone back an hour since there was no need to wait around too long if they didn't work again. I'm fine by the way and you both come in clear on my end. How about from yours?" Hermione didn't think there would be issues as her etchings were perfect this time, but it didn't hurt to know for certain.

"Mione, this is amazing! I can't believe we're talking to you while you're in the past. Do you think we'll still be able to do it from 1861?"

Ron was really excited now and as the past month had progressed, he admitted that he couldn't wait to meet Suellen because he was already smitten. Harry wasn't much better and was eagerly awaiting the jump, too. Hermione was a bit concerned about him, though, as he seemed very anxious at actually meeting Scarlett. Despite his obvious readiness to leave, he was also really reserved, as if he knew something particularly unpleasant about her but didn't want to share it. Both Ron and Hermione left him alone, but that didn't mean they weren't curious.

She, of course, couldn't wait to meet Rhett as he appeared from the vision to be both intelligent and fun loving. Rakish would be a good word to describe him, kind of like a more refined version of the Weasley twins on their best, yet still mischievous, behavior. Hermione also couldn't wait to teach him about magic once she took his bind off. She'd made a mental note just then to study all types of core bindings before they left and to pack an assortment of potential wands not only for Rhett, but for Scarlett, too. Suellen wasn't a witch, but that didn't seem to bother Ron in the least.

"Hey Hermione, your image is crystal clear and your voice sounds great. I suppose we now need to test them with you going further back and then add distance just to make sure. No matter what, you are amazing for doing the impossible!" Harry grinned.

"I don't know about impossible because I couldn't find any references to prove anyone has ever tried this, but thanks for the support." Secretly, Hermione was even impressed with herself over this one, and even though she wouldn't brag, she'd definitely make sure that the three of them were given credit for the discovery. Of course any future royalties would be distributed to the Weasley's as they wouldn't be there to enjoy the monetary benefits anyway. Who better to receive them than their adoptive family? Maybe they could even dedicate it to the memory of Fred? She'd have to ask Ron about that later.

"Well, I need to stay hidden for the next thirty minutes before I catch up with normal time so I'll be seeing you both soon." They all said a quick goodbye and Hermione simply touched her wand to the frame to sign off. Since she was hiding out in their secret classroom on the fifth floor, she transfigured herself an overstuffed chair from one of the many desks littered about and took a well deserved rest.

Any other testing could be done tomorrow.

* * *

While Hermione was enjoying a quick nap, Harry and Ron had been hiding out in the privacy of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with their mirror. They had recently discovered she wasn't there at a certain time of day due to staking out the prefect's bathroom, waiting for any guys who'd bathe after quidditch practice. Harry had learned well from his own bathing experience forth year that Myrtle kept a close watch out for any male student that she could catch in the buff. She may have been dead, but that didn't seem to stop her from peeping as often as she could. It was a good thing she wasn't allowed into the dorms or they'd never get to shower without a disillusionment charm. The best he could figure, the guys who go to the prefect's bathroom knowing she's there must love the attention.

"Well, she pulled it off, Harry so it looks like I'll soon be telling Mum about our plans."

Ron was scared to death of the conversation to come, but his need for Suellen was really starting to override the fear. Hopefully she'll calm down enough to let him go otherwise he'd have to take the coward's way out leaving a note promising he'd contact her when he was able. He didn't want to do that, but he was going one way or another.

"Yeah, she's brilliant. I think she's magic's version of MacGuyver, just give her a stick of gum and a coat hanger and she could build anything." Harry chuckled remembering the TV show the Dursley's watched when he was a little kid. He may not have been able to see the screen from his cupboard, but he could still follow the story due to the loud volume they used.

"MacWho?" Ron looked purplexed.

"Don't worry about it, muggle reference. Hermione should get it, though. Anyway, let's get out of here before Myrtle gets back."

"Yeah, mate, don't want to have her trying to punch through me again. That time in second year was more than enough." Ron shivered at the memory. "Wanna play a round of wizard's chess?"

"Sure. We've got some time until dinner so maybe I'll actually beat you this time." Ron laughed and put his arm across Harry's shoulders as they stepped into the hallway.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. You've never even gotten close before, but miracles do happen, yeah?" Harry growled at his friend.

"Let's go see if today's my day."

* * *

More time passed for the Golden Trio and Hermione was still lighting the candle at both ends. Following their successful test run, she had apparated to London during a Hogsmeade weekend to test out the mirror and scour the public library for all the American Civil War history she could find. She relied heavily on the time turner so that she could squeeze in as much study time as possible and still find time to sleep. By the time she was done, she'd taken journals full of notes and even found several mentions of a Captain Butler, the blockade runner. It was said he aided Southerners during the war by dodging Yankee ships and bringing in the supplies the North was trying to keep from them. It was those pages she made sure to photocopy so that she'd have proof of the future to show Rhett one day.

After using the turner to go back as far as she could, Hermione contacted the boys from her muggle hotel room and found that the mirrors worked brilliantly. At that point, there was nothing else she could do to tweak the mirrors so she finally considered them a success. She had already written up a paper detailing the construction and testing process so now she could have them quickly patented. Hermione felt good that she was leaving the Weasley's with a potential windfall of royalties and that they'd never go without again.

It was a Sunday afternoon when Hermione decided that she'd spent as much time away as she could so after checking out of her hotel, she apparated back to Hogsmeade. Well over the age of consent, especially given all her time turner usage, she didn't really need permission to go away for the weekend, but since she was also Head Girl, Hermione had notified McGonagall of her plans as a courtesy. Now that she was back, there would be a few more weeks of NEWTs revision, preparing the boys for the final ritual and briefing them on Civil War history. She was exhausted, but there was no time to stop now.

While slowly making her way up to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione heard the distinctive voice of the not-so-friendly neighborhood ferret calling out to her. She cringed at the idea of speaking to her male counterpart, whom she normally tried to avoid at all costs, but unfortunately for her she'd have to put up with him today. Hermione sighed and turned around to face Draco Malfoy, Head Boy, in all his blond glory. Standing there, she reluctantly had to admit to herself that he'd grown up to be a handsome man, always well groomed and sharply dressed. She even figured he could now almost make a decent catch for some girl out there, that is if he could just get over his pureblood superiority complex. Regardless of how attractive he was, he still wasn't in Rhett's league though.

"Granger! Where the hell have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" Hermione waited for him to elaborate and he just looked at her frustratedly.

"What's wrong now?"

She really wasn't in the mood for any of his dramatics, and hoped there wasn't an emergency somewhere as she was exhausted, plus she needed to talk to Harry and Ron. Regardless, she still had the job of Head Girl to do and she wouldn't fail at it now.

"Nothing's really wrong. I just needed to ask you something, but it's too late now since the weekend's over." Hermione looked confused as he ran his hand through his hair nervously. "I wanted to ask you out to Hogsmeade this weekend since I know you're no longer attached to the Weasel, but I couldn't find you. I asked Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer and they wouldn't say anything."

Hermione was shocked. Draco "I hate mudbloods" Malfoy wanted to ask her out on a date? What the hell was happening?

"Um, I had to leave for the weekend for personal reasons. I cleared it with McGonagall. Why did you want to ask me out? Is this some kind of a dare or something?"

Draco turned sad for a moment, but quickly recovered. He then looked extremely uncomfortable as if he was trying to muster up the courage to say something. He even started pacing.

"Malfoy! What the hell is wrong with you!" She really wanted to slap him, but she refrained. Barely.

"Granger. _Hermione._ I like you a lot and I really wanted to take you out on a special date. I've always liked you, but because of my family and the Dark Lord, I had to treat you like dirt. I hated every moment, and secretly felt bad when my curse hit your teeth back in fourth year. Now that the war is over and you're not hung up on the Weasel, I finally worked up the courage to ask you out, but you were gone." He hung is head in defeat.

"Oh, Malfoy. I had no idea you could even remotely like me as you were always so horrible. Is it really a surprise I thought this could be a joke?"

He looked at her and shook his head. He seemed to be sincere. "I knew this would be a long shot, but I still needed to ask. Would you consider going out with me anyway? I finally have the ability to ask and I didn't want to graduate and go off into the world without at least trying. I'd regret it forever."

Hermione felt bad knowing what she had to say next. If it hadn't been for the ritual, she'd probably take him up on the offer to at least see what could happen, but it was already too late as her heart now belonged to a blockade runner.

She looked into his hopeful eyes and as he searched hers, he had his answer. She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off.

"Don't worry about it, Granger. I guess I'll see you around. Good luck on your NEWTs." He took one long look at her as if he'd never see her again, turned around, and dejectedly walked away. Hermione took a deep breath and continued on to the common room.

There was no way she'd ever tell the boys about this. In a few weeks, she'd be gone and Draco's future could go on as it was meant to. He'd marry some rich, pureblood heiress and continue the Malfoy name while Hermione would hopefully be in the arms of her Rhett.

It was time to refocus and share her findings with Harry and Ron.

* * *

"Hermione!"

As soon as she emerged through the portrait doorway into the common room, both Harry and Ron had enthusiastically called out to her. They were glad she was back and it was obvious that she was, too. Hermione returned their greeting with a genuine smile then met them over by the fireplace where they had already confiscated the couch. The boys immediately moved apart so that she could sit in between them and taking that as an invitation, she collapsed bonelessly.

"How are you, Mione?," Ron asked. He may have decided that a romantic relationship wouldn't work out with her in the long run, but that didn't mean he still couldn't care about her. He supposed his emotional range was improving so that perhaps he was even at a tablespoon level now.

"Yeah, Hermione, how'd you make out in London?" Harry had always cared about her and knowing how hard she'd been preparing for their departure, he wanted to be as helpful to her as possible. This was considering how close they were to leaving and how tired she was looking.

"Oh, everything went well and I think we're in good shape." She looked around at the busy common room then threw up a muffliato to keep the rest of the conversation private.

"The mirrors are fine, as you both know, so I'll skip to the research. I have several journals full of notes that I need to sort through before I can coach you both on the history and the customs of the time. In Diagon Alley, I found a book on the history of magical government in America and learned that it wasn't very organized in 1861 as the population of witches and wizards there was still too small. I think this means they won't be able to really track our magic use easily and that will be helpful. I mean if we have to obliviate or confund some muggles, we won't have some ministry sending us owls." She looked at Harry who was grinning ear to ear.

"Great! I was getting tired of the ministry's micromanaging ways anyhow. It's good to know that we won't be facing the same issues. Does this mean they don't track unforgivables? I mean I don't plan to use any, but what if some rogue wizard tries to use one on us." Hermione thought for a moment.

"I don't think so. Their tracking methods, as far as I could tell, were pretty rudimentary so we will be able to get away with a lot. I think we should stick to mostly light or grey spells just in case. Once we have a better idea of magical life where we're going, we could probably even do dark spells if we had to. But for now we should focus on learning customs and history, preparing for the ritual, and dealing with what we want to bring."

"Well," Harry said. "I can head off to Gringott's soon to get an idea of the money situation. I'll talk to the goblins to see what we can do as far as currency goes. I figure we should take as much as we can and maybe they can tell us about the economy where we're going." He knew he had tons of gold just sitting in his vault collecting interest so they shouldn't need to find work anywhere. Plus magic was great for filling in gaps. Need a chair? No problem, just transfigure one.

"That would be great, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "That would help a lot. I can make our charmed bags, but what else do you want to bring? You know I'll have to make one specifically for all my books." She grinned.

"Yeah, she wouldn't be Hermione without her books," Ron replied. She glared.

"Yes, well, without me and my books where would we be now?" she asked smugly. He hung his head in defeat.

"I know, I was just messing with ya. Anyway, I want to bring all my stuff, especially my broom because it will be faster than any around except for Harry's unless.." Ron drifted off pondering something while Harry picked up on it right away.

"Okay, so we'll get the top of the line brooms before we go and maybe Hermione can learn how to make more or improve on them later," Harry said. She held up her hand for him to stop.

"How about since you both love flying so much, you both learn to do it yourself? I've got enough on my plate. Besides, shouldn't someone who actually uses them have a better idea of what to fix?"

Harry looked at her sheepishly. "Uh, yeah, that sounds like a future project for me and Ron." He looked at his friend who just seemed glad to be getting a new broom. Hermione shook her head at them knowing they'd never change. She loved them for it.

"Alright, now that's off the table, what else do we need to discuss tonight as I'm ready to crash?" Hermione asked. The boys looked at each other and shook their heads.

"I'll think about it some more and let you know. I want to get to Diagon Alley soon and then we can decide. It's hard to know what to take when you won't ever be coming back," Harry answered.

Ron jumped in, "Well, I'm sure Mum can help with the clothes once she knows. She loves making them and if we can tell her what we want and give her material, she'd have them all done right quick." Hermione thought that would be an excellent idea if Molly agreed.

"Well, I'll need to go back to London soon and look up old dress and suit patterns and maybe find some costume shops for ideas. When will you be breaking the news, Ron?" He gulped.

"I'll ask McGonagall if I can use the floo and go there tonight. I think I need to get this over with before I lose my nerve. Wish me luck!" He immediately stood up, took a deep breath, and then left the common room looking like a true Gryffindor.

"How much you want to wager we'll hear her screams from here?" Harry asked. Hermoine giggled.

"I don't think that's a smart bet Harry as one of us would be sure to lose!"

* * *

Ron survived his conversation with Molly. After many tears and having Arthur there to calm her down, they were all able to have a rational discussion. The ritual was explained and he told his parents of the results for each of the trio. They were shocked in amazement. When Ron told them about the mirrors Hermione made, she was almost smiling and Arthur was in awe. He knew the girl was a brilliant witch, but to make something so impossible was beyond his comprehension. Once Ron said they wanted to dedicate the mirrors to Fred, Molly broke down and hugged her youngest son tightly. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gathered herself back together.

"Oh Ronald, dear, Fred would be so proud. I think the mirrors will be very successful even if everyone can't travel back with a turner to use them that way. It was so thoughtful of you three to think of him." Molly gave him a watery smile and he suddenly realized that soon he'd actually be giving up his family for his future. He gulped.

"Mum, I'm gonna miss all of you so much, but the mirrors will help. Harry and Hermione are dead set on going and so am I. We have to perform the second part of the ritual right after graduation so we only have a few weeks left. The pull to go is getting stronger every day." Ron smiled dreamily thinking about Suellen and his parents looked at him knowingly. Arthur put his hand on his shoulder proudly.

"Well, son, it looks as if you're going to meet your match. It was miraculous that Molly and I knew we were soulmates from day one so we didn't have to risk time travel, but knowing how I feel about her, how could I begrudge you the same chance?"

Without warning, he suddenly pulled Ron into a hug and whispered to him, "I'm proud of you no matter what you do. Always remember that." As they pulled away, Ron felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders. His dad was proud of him.

"Thanks, Dad." Arthur nodded in reply.

Ron continued his spiel, "Okay, so now that you know, Mum, we need your help in making some clothes for the time we're going, 1861 America. Hermione is looking into styles and will get all the materials, but do you think you could help? We only have a few weeks to go and we will each need at least few sets of things until we can buy more."

Despite the upcoming separation, Molly looked pleased. If her son was brave enough to bridge time to meet his soulmate, she'd do all she could to help him. After helping Harry bring down Voldemort, he deserved to be happy. So did Harry and Hermione although she'd miss them all desperately. They were her children, too, after all, if not by birth then by love. This would be a challenge she gladly accept and she'd make sure they were sent off in style.

"Don't you worry about anything, dear. Just get me what you want made, and I'll see it done in a jiffy. Once I have an idea of what you need, I can work very fast, especially since I'm not chasing around toddlers anymore." She felt a bit sad at this, but knew that she'd one day become a grandmother and could spoil her children's children, even if Ron's were from afar.

"Thanks, Mum, that will help a lot as Hermione is already stressed out," he replied. Ron paused, wondering how to bring up the topic of Ginny, when his mum asked about her.

"Oh, I haven't really talked to her much since she and Harry broke it off. She's been flirting a lot with Neville now as he was a hero, too. I didn't know how to bring this up, but I think Ginny needs to be checked out at Mungo's." Ron cringed waiting for Molly's response and he wasn't disappointed. She exploded.

"What do you mean she needs to go to St. Mungo's? What's wrong with my Ginny!" She was very agitated with her face turning purple while Arthur was trying to soothe her without success.

"Mum! Calm down! We just thought after what she did to Harry that maybe that diary messed her up more than we thought!" Ron cried, trying to get through to her. It obviously worked.

"What! What are you talking about, Ronald? What did she do?" This wasn't going to go over well. He sighed.

"Um, well from how Harry explained it, all she wanted was to be seen on the arm of the Boy Who Lived and then she tried to get him to buy her all sorts of stuff to show off how rich he is. She was pushing him to get married after school and he felt like she only cared about being famous. It got to be too much for him and now she's after Neville, you know because he lead Dumbledore's Army last year and took out that snake."

Ron felt bad having to snitch on Ginny like this, but if he was leaving, he wanted to make sure she'd be okay in the long run. Molly, who looked like she was finally calming down, sat there for a few minutes in silence thinking over what he said. Something must have clicked as she was no longer ready to tear something apart.

"I should've never gotten her all those Harry Potter stories as a girl. She was so excited about them and would always say she'd marry him someday because he was so brave and handsome. I thought it was just a phase as once she went to Hogwart's she was fine. I guess she was just faking it until she thought she was really going to marry him. I feel awful." Molly started to cry and Arthur handed her a new handkerchief from his pocket.

"Now, now, Molly, it will be alright. We'll wait until after school to see how she is and determine if something's wrong. If there is, don't you want her to get well?" She shook in his arms, but managed to nod in the affirmative.

"Alright then," Arthur said, "we'll wait and if we have just cause, she'll be marched straight off to a mind healer right away. Now dry your tears." Molly hugged him and took a calming breath. She dabbed her eyes and now that they had a plan, she was looking more resolved.

"Ronald, shouldn't you be getting back to school? I'm sure you have a busy day planned for tomorrow. Now give your mother a kiss and I'll be waiting to hear from you about the clothes." Ron approached his mother and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled as he said goodbye and flooed back to Hogwart's.

* * *

The following weekend, Hermione headed off to London again to look for period clothing options and material while Harry made his way to Gringott's. It was a good thing they were open every day of the week so he'd have time to conduct his business. He was a bit leary of entering the bank again after his dramatic horcrux robbery and escape, but considering that the fate of the wizarding world was at stake, it wasn't like he had much of a choice.

He boldly stepped through the front door of the bank and approached the first available goblin. All he was going to do was ask who he should speak to about his account, but as the goblin looked up, he grimaced and immediately left his station. Harry was a bit bewildered, but after a few moments, a second goblin approached him angrily.

"Mr. Potter!," the goblin shouted, "why are you here?" Harry knew this wouldn't be easy, but he had a mission to accomplish today. He'd prepared with Hermione how to best speak with them to ensure everything went favorably.

"May your coffers always be full to overflowing and your battles swiftly won, honorable goblin." He bowed and then stood waiting for the confused goblin's response.

"Mr. Potter, what is your business here today?" The reply was calm, but Harry could tell he was on alert. It wasn't like he was planning to do anything crazy, like hitch a ride on another dragon, but that didn't seem to matter.

"Well, I'm in need of a consultation on how best to remove my funds as I'm going on a long trip and will not be returning to England." The goblin was surprised at this and it seemed like the idea of Harry Potter pulling his funds from the bank was a matter of concern to him.

"As the heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, I will escort you to your family's account manager, Strongfist. He has been the manager of your account for several generations." The goblin gestured for Harry to follow and he obediently walked behind.

After taking many turns and traveling through numerous corridors, Harry was lost, but soon they approached a large wooden door with a solid gold handle. The silver plaque attached read: 'Strongfist, Manager of the Potter and Black accounts'. This was good he managed both accounts as he'd also need to discuss anything that Sirius may have left him before conducting the ritual.

The goblin knocked fiercely on the door and after hearing what must have been permission to enter, he escorted Harry into the office. Once inside, he looked around to see a large round office with a huge golden desk in the center of the room. Behind the desk sat the meanest looking goblin he'd seen yet. His eyes were pitch black and focused intently on Harry. Strongfist certainly appeared to live up to his name and with a wave of his hand, he sent the goblin escort away, leaving Harry behind. The door shut with a snap and Harry was then all alone with his supposed account manager.

"Come here, Mr. Potter and have a seat. I don't have all day and time is money." Strongfist pointed to one of two purple upholstered chairs positioned in front of the desk and Harry hurried to sit. The goblin chuckled and waited for the young nervous wizard to speak.

"Um, Strongfist, I came to Gringott's to find out how to best deal with my account as I'm leaving and I won't be back." Harry watched the goblin's face turn sour.

"Mr. Potter, why are you leaving now that the war has been won?" Harry sighed.

"Before I say anything, will what I tell you be kept confidential? I don't want it spread about to anyone." Strongfist nodded curtly.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, our conversation will not be relayed to anyone without your permission." Harry breathed out in relief.

"Oh, good, you could probably help us better if you knew all the details. Anyway, my friends and I conducted a soulmate ritual, which worked by the way, and we will all soon be traveling to 1861 Georgia, in America. That is once we conduct the second phase after graduation. I came to Gringott's hoping to figure out how best to take my money with me as we'll need it. I don't know the currency and I know a war will start soon after we arrive."

Strongfist gasped, which was a reaction Harry found strange considering the fierce nature of the goblin.

"Mr. Potter, to find one's soulmate in the past is incredibly rare. How did you manage to do this? We thought the ritual was long lost to history." Encouraged, Harry continued on.

"Well, my friend Hermione found a really old dusty book in the restricted section of the library at Hogwart's and discovered the ritual. We, with our friend Ron, did the ritual and saw our soulmates in our cauldrons. My soulmate is a muggleborn witch that doesn't know she's a witch, while Hermione's is a halfblood wizard with a block on his magic. Apparently his dad bound his core while he was a teenager and the guy never even knew he was a wizard. Ron's soulmate is a muggle who I think is a sister to mine. We've been getting ready to leave for over the last month and Hermione even built some communication mirrors that can be used between here and the past so that we can keep in touch with the Weasley's. She borrowed a time turner and we've been able to talk with her going back 12 hours since that's the limit of the turner. We believe it will still work for when we're going, but we won't know until we get there." Strongfist's eyes widened.

"Ah, well, we've been looking for this ritual for many years as we, the goblin nation, consider soulmates to be sacred. Because of this, we will help you and if you could give us a copy it could go a long way towards rebuilding your reputation with Gringott's." The goblin grinned, his intimidatingly sharp teeth on display. Harry shuddered.

"Uh, I don't see why that should be a problem. What do you think we should do? We have to leave in a few weeks and the pull is getting stronger for us to finish the ritual," Harry asked.

Strongfist took control and laid out a potential plan for converting the contents of his trust vault into time appropriate currency from America as they had kept some based on the word of their exalted seer at the time, Eyesbright. She had proclaimed that the dragon rider would come seeking currency and that it should be saved for him. After many years, they had forgotten all about it, but now it looked like her word was finally coming to pass. Strongfist also explained to Harry the contents of his family vault which would be exchanged for an equal value of gold ingots he could trade for cash once they had arrived in 1861. In regards to properties, they both decided to sell them off quickly, if possible, and convert the funds to gold which he could also take with him. All heirlooms would be packed into trunks with shrinking charms so they would fit into the bags Hermione was preparing. This all sounded great to Harry.

"So, Strongfist, how much do you think I'll have to take with me? What's the conversion rate between money then and now?" Strongfist looked over his files and after some quick calculations determined Harry's potential total.

"Well, Mr. Potter. All said and done, you will be looking at taking $2 million US dollars from your trust vault with the current exchange rate. Due to inflation over time, your spending ability will change as I figure one of your dollars will equal about $3.70 in 1861 dollars. You will still have plenty of funds to use as long as you make smart investment decisions. As far as the Potter vault is concerned, the total weight of gold you will be taking based on an equal exchange of galleons would equal about 3 tons. One troy ounce in 1861 equaled about $18.93 US and since you will have about 96,400 ounces, you will be a very rich man."

Harry's eyes bugged out at the first number and he almost fainted at the amount of gold he had coming. He's had that much money all this time? Why didn't anyone ever tell him? He asked Strongfist.

"To answer your questions, your parents' will was never read and by the time you came of age, the executor of the will, Albus Dumbledore, had died and the war started. I do apologize for our oversight and wish to aid you now. Would you like to hear your parents' will? I also have to tell you that you were named in Sirius Black's will as well. It was never read as Dumbledore put a hold on it as Chief Warlock as he was never cleared of his supposed crimes. The block is no longer valid now that Dumbledore is gone so we can take care of that as well while you're here."

Damn Dumbledore! What was so important that he couldn't let Harry hear the wills sooner? I guess he would find out.

"All right, Mr. Potter. There are other individuals named in the wills, but we can allow for your reading now and follow up later with the others. Since there are only a few people still living, it won't affect much and I know you are in a bit of a time crunch." Strongfist, pulled out two folders from what was probably a file drawer and set them down in front of him. One folder was labeled Potter while the other, of course, was Black. Harry took a deep breath as this was something he always wanted – words to him from his parents. Strongfist took out an official looking document from the Potter folder and started reading.

 _This is the final will and testament of James Charlus Potter and Lily Rose Evans Potter dated this day, October 1_ _st_ _, 1981. All previous versions of this document are null and void. It is our hope that should our dear Harry survive us, he will hear the reading of this will once he turns 17 as this is when he becomes a man in the wizarding world and can properly step up as the head of the Potter family. In so doing, he will inherit all but what we have designated below to our fellow Marauders, should they also survive. In the meantime, we will create a trust vault to support Harry's care and schooling at Hogwart's. If any of the Marauders are living at the time of the will reading, all of what we have allocated to them should be split amongst the survivors or if all have perished, be given to our Harry. If none of these individuals have survived, we wish our estate to be donated to Hogwart's to aid muggleborn students primarily, but also any others in need with their educational expenses. This would include orphans of any status. We will trust Hogwart's to make the best decisions as to how the funds from the Potter Scholarship Trust would be allocated._

 _To each of our Marauder friends (Sirius, Remus, and Peter), we would like to leave 50,000 galleons to spend as you wish. Have fun and remember us fondly. We will miss you greatly._

 _Now, Harry if you are hearing these words, please know that we love you and have always loved you. We tried to protect you the best we knew how, but something still must have gone wrong. We will be watching you from the other side and please know we will always be proud of you. Find your soulmate, marry, have children of your own and build a legacy. Prophecy or no prophecy, you are a special boy and we believe that great and wonderful things are waiting for you in the future. Never give up and remember one day we will be reunited. Stay strong, but remember that love is your destiny._

 _Love always,_

 _James and Lily Potter_

 _Your adoring parents_

Did his parents somehow know he'd be looking for his soulmate using a ritual? Love is your destiny? How could they have possibly known the name? Harry heard a cleared throat and he looked up at Strongfist in confusion.

"Mr. Potter, are you ready to continue? We still need to read Mr. Black's will and finalize our business today." Harry nodded and the goblin took a similar document out of the Black folder. He read:

 _This is the final will and testament of Sirius Orion Black dated this day, June 1_ _st_ _, 1996. All previous versions of this document are null and void._

 _Hi ya Harry!_

 _Sorry I couldn't be there for you longer than I was, but thank you from the bottom of my Marauder heart for giving me the time we had together. Peter robbed us of so much and to make up for what I was unable to do for you in life, I'm giving you the entire Black fortune, minus some mad money for Moony (2 million galleons), if he's still around by then. If not, it's all yours, Pup! Narcissa and Bellatrix get nothing from me and that brat Draco will not see a bloody Black knut. Your grandmother Potter was a Black and that is good enough for me to make this happen. Now you can torch Number 12 to the ground and give Kreature clothes! Remember to raise some hell for me, Prongslet, and I'll be watching from above. I'm sure James and I will be having a blast on this side so don't mourn for me too long. Enjoy your life and if you've finally defeated Voldemort, you deserve all the good it can give you and more. I hope Moony is still there for you, but if not, that just means he'll be watching with us. Wherever you go and whatever you do, know that I'm proud of you and that you've more than lived up to the Potter name._

 _Love always,_

 _Your awesome godfather,_

 _Sirius Orion Black_

By the time Strongfist finished, Harry had tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe Sirius left him everything. Since Remus died at the final battle, that meant he would be the only one to inherit. He wiped his eyes with a sleeve and looked to his account manager for what it all means.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Potter. I know how much Mr. Black loved you as he spoke of you often when he'd sneak in here for funds. Are you ready to continue?" Strongfist asked. Harry took a cleansing breath and nodded.

"The Black estate has been valued at just over 20 million galleons in coins and also includes multiple properties and many artifacts and books. If we do as we did with the Potter vault, you would have approximately 6 more tons of gold, twice on top of what you already have. We can sell the properties and collect all the heirlooms as well." Strongfist knew that his two major accounts would now be closing, but since it's due to the soulmate ritual, it was well worth it. He'd get a copy of the ritual for his people, and to them that was worth more than both vaults combined.

Harry could hardly believe this day. He came in thinking he'd only have his trust vault to deal with and now he'd be walking out a millionaire.

"Well Strongfist, let's do that. I know that I'd like all the books from the vaults here and from Number 12 Grimmauld Place to be combined and packed in trunks like you would the heirlooms. If there is anything cursed, I'd like to get rid of it unless the curses could be lifted first. Any house elves should either be freed or given to new families as I won't be needing any. Oh and once the library has been packed, Grimmauld Place can be gutted and left to rot for all I care. If anyone wants it, they'll have to deal with Walburga Black's portrait as there is a permanent sticking charm holding her there. The house elf Kreature moons over her and he's nothing but trouble. I'll have to think more about that, but if we can finish up both estates within the next two weeks, I can come back and take possession of everything as Hermione should have our bags done by then. Oh, and if it's any trouble, I'd like to take out enough now to buy two top of the line brooms to take with us. I've got a Firebolt, but this is my last chance to get the best." Strongfist shook his head. He'd never understand wizards and their brooms.

"Fine, Mr. Potter. Just have the broom shop send us an invoice and we'll make sure it's paid. Is there anything else you'd like to do today? Otherwise, why don't you return in two weeks and we'll have everything ready by then." Harry thought that sounded like a great idea and he was more than ready to leave. He wanted to check out Quality Quidditch Supplies before he headed off to find Hermione at the public library. She would have checked out a few shops already and would be waiting for him as previously arranged.

"I think I'd like that." Harry stood up from his chair and bowed to the goblin. "May your enemies continue to fall by your sword and may your descendants reap the rewards of your glory." Surprised, Strongfist stood and put his right fist across his chest in salute.

"May your battles become legend and your profits only grow." Harry smiled.

"Thank you for your time, Strongfist. Is there someone that could help me get out to Diagon Alley? I kind of got lost following the goblin who led me here and I don't think I could make it to the lobby on my own." Strongfist looked at Harry oddly, then laughed heartily.

"You managed to break into this bank and rode out on a dragon, yet now you're lost? Ha! Have a good day Mr. Potter and I will see you again in two weeks, say about 1pm?" Harry agreed and with another escort, left Gringott's a very rich man.

 **A/N: Tons of thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and favorited so far! I hope you enjoy this installment and I'll be working on the next one soon. The trio will finally be headed to the past! Have a great night!**


	3. Chapter 3: Love is a Leap, Part II

**Chapter 3: Love is a Leap, Part II**

London turned out to be a success not only for Harry, but Hermione as well. While he was speaking with Strongfist, she started at the library and perused the current telephone directory. She was particularly interested in all costume and theatrical shops that carried outfits circa 1861. She made a list and proceeded to investigate each one. Since there were only a few that looked promising, Hermione figured she could easily be back in time to meet up with Harry as promised.

Unfortunately, Hermione was very disappointed with the first two stops as everything she found looked cheap and unauthentic, as if they only wanted to carry novelty items. With the third stop, however, she hit paydirt. As soon as she stepped through the door, Hermione knew she was in the right place. The small storefront was decorated in such a way as to highlight each costume era. In one section, there were ancient themes, such as the Greek pantheon and in another she could see medieval attire. They even had a full suit of armor! Whoever recreated the clothing there paid a great deal of attention to detail and not only that, they also carried a good selection of reproduction period accessories and authentic memorabilia. There was a small selection of ladies' antebellum inspired dresses, pantalets, mens suits, hats, shoes and even corsets! Those she'd avoid like the plague as she planned on using a glamour charm instead to maintain her normal lung capacity. As far as she was concerned, only Rhett, and maybe the boys, would ever know. She smirked at the thought of how Rhett will someday discover this little detail.

Hermione continued to browse the shop, quaintly called _Treasures of Times Past,_ for a few moments before she headed to the front counter to ask for assistance. The clerk was a lively middle-aged woman with dark hair, slightly graying at the temples. She was wearing an amazing Victorian-inspired blue velvet jacket over a white button down shirt and a beat up pair of jeans. Her makeup was tastefully done and she was even wearing vintage sapphire jewelry. Hermione thought the whole ensemble was incredible and if she had planned to stay in the present, she'd definitely be back to ask this woman for styling tips.

"Welcome to my shop - the name's Anne. How can I help you today?" Hermione had to smile, it was infectious seeing someone so happy that she lit up from the inside. Anne obviously loved what she did for a living.

"Hi Anne, my name's Hermione and I'm here to look at antebellum styled clothes and accessories. My two guy friends and I need to either purchase or make clothes for ourselves as we're going on a trip with a theme and we need to look like we belong in 1861 Georgia. Can you help me?" Anne smirked.

"Can I help you? Sure I can! I just love that time period as the dresses were amazing. The hoop skirts are totally outrageous, but the corsets were killer. I'm glad we're not held to that standard anymore. I know girls who still like them, but not me! Anyway, I've got a selection of some dresses that my seamstress makes custom for clients, but I don't think we could get such a large order together quickly. I do, however, have a good collection of old dress patterns that we sell, in addition to those for mens suits. You're more than welcome to take a look and if anything strikes your fancy, you can purchase them today." Anne smiled proudly then her expression turned thoughtful.

"Do you have anyone who can make the costumes for you? I can recommend someone if you don't because it will take an expert seamstress or tailor to construct these types of garments and have them look like the real deal. They have lots of detail and involve a ton of fabric." Hermione smiled knowing that Molly will be taking care of everything to do with their clothing.

"Oh, yes. My friend's mother is amazing with sewing and she's all ready to get started, I just needed to get some ideas and a place to start. It looks like I came to the right place!"

Anne replied saucily, "You sure did, honey! Let me show you what I have and we can take it from there."

The two women were walking towards the patterns case when Anne suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard of Godey's Ladies Book?"

Hermione shook her head no and Anne continued, "It was a monthly journal for US ladies during the 1800s that's full of all sorts of interesting tidbits. If you want to get as close as possible to being an authentic 1860's woman, you should start there and I just so happen to have a few 1861 copies for sale."

Hermione didn't know it yet, but she was about to get a lesson in what it meant to be a woman of the mid 19th century.

She didn't like it.

* * *

By the time Harry entered the lobby of the library, Hermione was there waiting for him with her famous beaded bag in hand. Both had accomplished a lot on their trip and they were more than ready to head back to school. It was late afternoon on Saturday and they wanted to make it to dinner. After exchanging a quick greeting, they swiftly left the library then ducked into a side alley down the street, carefully making sure to stay out of sight. They apparated directly to Hogsmeade from there rather than heading back to Diagon Alley to save time.

Once Harry and Hermione arrived in the apparition zone of the village, the intrepid duo quickly made their way to Hogwarts and then up to Gryffindor tower. As they expected, Ron was engaged in another heated battle of wizards' chess with Seamus. Hermione didn't know why the Irishman kept trying to beat Ron as he was just too good for him. Her redheaded friend probably could go pro in the muggle world if he really wanted to and maybe he still could once they get settled in the past. She'd have to bring it up with him later.

As soon as Ron called out checkmate, Seamus graciously accepted defeat and promptly got up to go find Dean before dinner. Ron was grinning, knowing that there wasn't a Gryffindor around that could beat him yet. Hermione never tried, but then again, she didn't really care about the game so much. Her dad taught her how to play years ago, but that was only so he had someone to play against.

She really missed him.

Before she could get too far into her negatively spiraling thoughts of family, Ron saw that they had returned. Since there was still some time before they needed to be in the Great Hall, they decided to go find a quiet place to talk about what happened in London. They remained silent until they reached the lakeside which was conveniently devoid of students. Hermione threw up a privacy spell, just in case, and by then Ron was chomping at the bit for information.

"Hermione," Harry said, "Why don't you go first as my story may take a while." She nodded then sat down on the large rock they had always favored to begin her tale.

"Well, I found this amazing shop that had pretty much all we need for Molly to make our clothes. I even have some information we can use to transfigure any accessories we need, like shoes and hats. I also purchased some ladies guides from 1861 and let me tell you they're horrid. Being an independent woman in the 19th century is going to be torture. I'm sure I'll want to hex every chauvinistic man who looks at me crossways as there will be enough of them! The men think women are these fragile little creatures. Ha! I'd like to see them survive a crucio and then we'll see who's delicate!"

"Hermione! Calm down. I'm sure Rhett won't be like that otherwise he wouldn't be your soulmate," Ron said calmly. She gave him a tight smile as she was still ticked off over what she learned today.

It wasn't a complete surprise, truly, as she understood history. As a modern woman, the customs of the time they were adopting wouldn't be easy and there was always the risk of being ostracized. She got the idea that any women of status would be extremely judgmental and unforgiving. Hermione knew that she had to do things right the first time, otherwise she may not get another chance. It's like they say, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Her feminist ideals would have to take a backseat for the sake of Rhett, even if she had to constantly bite her tongue to do it.

At least the boys would have a easier time of it.

Hermione replied apologetically, "Okay, I'm sorry, but this is going to be hard on me. I was raised knowing that women were just as good as men, even if we are different. Going to a time where women were basically possessions placed on pedestals is going to stick in my craw. I'll manage somehow, though."

"That's the spirit, Hermione," Harry said encouragingly. "You can't be sure of anything, really, until we get there and meet the people. There has to be a reason why all of our soulmates exist in the same place and time. That just means we are meant to go back. I'm sure we'll adapt, eventually, and like Ron said, I'm sure Rhett will be different." He smiled at her.

She sighed. "I'm sure you're right. It's just that I had all these ideas of pushing for equal rights for werewolves and house elves after graduation and now I'll be the one discriminated against, again, just for being born a girl. It hurts."

"Well, think of it this way," Ron replied, "if all goes well, you can get a head start. Just think of having more years to change people's minds before it gets bad. Prevention, yeah?" Hermione lit up.

"Of course! I'm sure there are lots of things I can do, even if I'm not in the spotlight. Thanks, Ron. Oh and by the way, you're officially not a teaspoon anymore. I think you've now grown into a quarter cup."

"Oi, hey now! I thought I was becoming a tablespoon, but I'll take the cup. Thanks, Hermione." Ron rolled his eyes and the trio started to laugh. It felt good to let loose a bit and just relax for a while. They each knew there was still much to do, but for the moment, it was enough.

Once they settled down, Hermione continued, "So I've got patterns we can look through and I'll need to make a list of all the material to buy for your mum, Ron. Anne, the store owner I spoke with, gave me lots of ideas. I think we should go through everything tonight so I can go shopping tomorrow. That way we can hopefully floo to the Burrow as I'd like to give Molly as much time as possible. I think the suits will be easier to make than the dresses, though. I've never seen so much fabric in my life!"

"I have the feeling I'm not going to like how they dress, will I?" Ron asked reluctantly. Hermione shook her head no.

"Nope. The suits range from the every day type all the way to a formal tuxedo style. They have different shirts, ties, cravats, waistcoats, trousers, and coats to choose from. For formal occasions, there are also frock coats and capes and it looked like most men wore a fancy pocketwatch, cufflinks and tacks. Oh and I think smoking and drinking are expected for gentlemen as well."

"Guess that means I'm packing the firewhiskey, eh mate?" Ron asked Harry. He shuddered, remembering what happened last time the two shared a bottle. They had both been celebrating the end of the war and it was a very good thing there were potions available to handle the after effects. If they hadn't found some the next morning, they'd have been feeling ill for days.

"That means I'll have to bring the sober-up potion. That stuff's amazing!" Harry replied cheerfully and Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys!

Hermione then stopped to ponder what else she remembered from today's excursion. "Oh, and we have to decide how to present ourselves. Will we portray rich travelers from Europe? I think that scenario would afford us a better ranking in society straight away. Maybe we could be on a reverse form of a Grand Tour? How do we know each other? There are so many things to think of and our stories need to be seamless."

"Well, perhaps I can help with all that," Harry chimed in. "I still need to tell you how things went at Gringott's." Hermione and Ron could see that their friend had something big to tell them and they weren't wrong.

"Okay, so first off, thanks Hermione for coaching me on what to say to the goblins as that totally helped."

"No problem, Harry. Did they give you a really hard time at first?"

Harry answered, "A bit. I had one angry goblin ask me what I wanted and when I said I to planned to close out my account, I was escorted directly to my account manager, Strongfist." Harry smiled, thinking of the fierce goblin he met today.

"I confided to Strongfist what we did and what we plan to do next and he was shocked. He _really_ wants a copy of the ritual. I guess they knew about it, but it had been lost to them over time. They see soulmates as sacred and he wanted to know how we found it. I explained about Hermione and the book she discovered then said he could have a copy, no problem." Hermione was pensive.

"I didn't know that about goblins. In all my research, it was never mentioned. I can get a copy together for you, Harry, but when do you plan to go back?"

Harry ran his hand through his already messy hair. "I have an appointment two weeks from today at 1pm to collect everything they're preparing for me. I'm going to need those charmed bags as there is going to be a lot to take with us." He grinned merrily.

Ron piped up, "What's a lot, mate?"

"Well...," Harry answered, "let's just say that as long as we're careful, we'll have millions of 1861 dollars to spend and hopefully we can invest some of it wisely." Both Ron and Hermione's eyes widened at the number.

"You mean you've had millions in Gringott's all this time?" Hermione asked cautiously as Harry's face started to turn stormy.

"Apparently. Dumbledore died and he was the executor of my parents' will. I was supposed to hear it when I turned 17, but then Voldemort happened and Gringott's never contacted me. Not only that, but Sirius also left me with the entire Black fortune. Narcissa and Draco won't see a single knut." He smirked at this, knowing Draco was going to pitch a royal fit over that one. Too bad, by the time he finds out, the three of them will be in 1861.

"Whoa, mate, Sirius did that? How did he manage to pull that one off?" Ron asked curiously.

"Since my grandmother was a Black, it was enough for him to get the will through. Dumbledore had a block placed on the reading of it so I never knew. I don't know why, and I'll probably never know, but Strongfist gave me an excuse, something about Sirius never being cleared and since Dumbledore's dead, the block was taken off."

Hermione nodded. "I think that was a good part of it, but I think the real reason was because he knew you had a horcrux and expected you to die to save the wizarding world. I don't know if he figured you'd only be dead a short time and have the ability to come back or not. But why give you all this money in the event you didn't make it. Seems cold to me, but you know how manipulative he was. It was a good thing his gambling paid off in the end, but it sure did cause a lot of people pain and all for a prophecy that was probably self-fulfilling. I mean if Dumbledore and Voldemort never believed in it, how would things have turned out? It boggles even my mind."

Harry was so pissed off that he started pacing along the lake's edge. "I wouldn't be surprised. My parents' will planned on all the Potter money being given to Hogwarts for an educational fund if all those who stood to inherit died first. I'm the sole inheritor and that was a close thing. So many things could have been better if Dumbledore hadn't been so damned secretive! He never gave straight answers and everything was turned into a bloody riddle. At least where were going, we'll be able to live comfortably on the combined estates of Potter and Black!"

"Harry, calm down! It's over, we made it and he didn't. Let's just focus on the future, okay? Well, our future in the past which will become our present soon enough." Hermione got up off the rock and proceeded to give her brother a hug. Harry wrapped his arms around her and tucked his head into the crook of her neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling the comforting scent of Hermione's lavender shampoo. He would make sure she takes a lot of it with her as he'd miss the scent if it went away. He let her go so he could continue the recollection of his day.

"Thanks, Hermione. I really needed to vent after today's bombshell and I'm still not done filling you guys in on everything." He then proceeded to explain the rest of what was decided with Strongfist and his friends were amazed, especially about how Eyesbright's prediction played into it, too. Things were now really starting to come together for the Golden Trio.

* * *

The next two weeks flew by and Hermione was at her wits end. She had managed to sneak out to London the day following the lake discussion to purchase all the material they needed for each outfit. Based on the number of ensembles required, Molly would certainly be kept busy and Hermione hoped she could handle it all.

After showing the boys the mens patterns, they selected five day suits apiece along with a good selection of shirts, waistcoats, ties and cravats. They even decided on getting one tuxedo each! Hermione thought they chose wisely and she couldn't wait to see them dressed up like true Southern gentlemen. She decided on ten dresses total, seven for day wear and three ball gowns, all with crinoline and appropriate undergarments. The patterns she chose, in her mind, were very pretty and the one she planned to wear the day they traveled was stunning. It took hours to select and have each fabric cut to the lengths needed. In the midst of it all, she realized Anne was certainly right about the dresses being a challenge.

Hermione also made sure to select spools of matching thread and all the necessary notions described in the patterns. In the end, she spent a small fortune, but considering that this is what they would be wearing from now on, there was no choice really. If they had needed to hire a seamstress, it would be worse, but with Molly on their side, Hermione thought they'd be getting away with a bargain. Perhaps she should ask her for tips so that she could try it herself once they were settled into their new life? A lesson in household charms before they left would probably be in order as well. She laughed thinking she could have the cleanest house in Georgia with only a few flicks of a wand.

She also wondered how well Rhett could to handle his. Pun certainly intended.

That was another thing she'd realized. The pull was increasing and the desire they were feeling for their respective soulmates was seriously becoming a distraction. They were still in control, but with only about a week left, it was getting harder to focus. NEWTs were now in full swing and Hermione was crushing them. Despite having to finish preparations for their imminent departure, she still managed to revise thoroughly for each class. She had been tempted to use the time turner, but refrained, as she was already exhausted and the thought of lengthening her days made her ill.

In between tests, the trio met as often as they could to go over their final plans, including the ritual, which in the end was very simple. This time they'd need to drink a potion and chant a new phrase three times: _dilectus meus misit me_ , or send me to my true love. The potion again took a week to brew and required consumption immediately upon completion. Hermione was going to time her brewing so they could leave the day after graduation. They'd take the Hogwarts Express one last time for nostalgia's sake and would say their goodbyes from the Burrow.

She'd just have to get the cauldron there safely during a point where a stasis charm could be used. The potion would then be finished at the Weasley's.

Only a few days left to go...

* * *

"Thank Merlin, we're done!" Ron shouted enthusiastically after the three Gryffindors left the last NEWT exam they'd ever take. Harry smiled brightly.

"Yeah, mate. No more tests. No more Hogwarts. _Hello_ , Georgia." Hermione giggled at Harry's elation.

"Harry, you make it sound like you have a secret girlfriend waiting for you somewhere. It's cute." He frowned.

"Cute? Is that all you have to say? How about devilishly handsome?" Harry raised his eyebrows up and down comically and the trio broke out into laughter.

"I guess we'll have to see what Scarlett says about that now won't we?" Hermione asked teasingly.

"Who's Scarlett?"

A familiar female voice from behind startled them and they each cringed in response. Ginny. Hermione recovered quickly and replied, "Oh, Scarlett, she's just some girl from Harry's past life that had a crush on him once upon a time. He mentioned it to us recently as a joke and we've been teasing him ever since." Ginny looked at her sceptically, but with one look at Harry, she decided it was nothing.

"Oh, okay. So, you all ready for graduation tomorrow and then on to the Burrow?"

Harry internally cursed knowing he would soon have to deal with this loose end. He had become very leery of Ginny lately because she still seemed to have a certain gleam in her eye, one which in his experience, meant trouble was coming. He coughed suddenly to cover up his discomfort.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Oh no, Harry thought, this was going to be bad. He was now really grateful Ron had mustered the courage to warn his parents as things were going to get ugly fast.

"I'm fine, Ginny, and yes, we're all ready to move on to the next stage of our lives, but right now I'm ready for dinner! Who's with me?" He looked to his friends who agreed that sounded like a grand idea. Ginny tagged along and soon they were digging into Hogwarts best shepard's pie and treacle tart.

* * *

For graduating students, the NEWTs were graded upon completion of exams and in the end, all three passed each course easily. Hermione; however, gained the greatest number of outstanding marks recorded in Hogwarts history. She had thoroughly beaten Tom Riddle's scores and with also helping to defeat his Dark Lord persona, she finally felt vindicated. Hermione was living proof that muggleborns could succeed brilliantly in the wizarding world and she hoped the purebloods would choke on it. They could all inbreed themselves into extinction for all she cared - she was leaving this world behind anyway with a spectacular bang.

Graduation was a mixed affair. It was both joyous, yet melancholy, thinking of all those who perished during the war. The final battle took away so many of those who deserved to be there celebrating with the survivors.

Those preparing to enter the real world were excited as they could now be considered full witches and wizards. Some would marry and carry on their family names while others would seek employment somewhere in the ministry. The Golden Trio's path was already set, of course, but only a select few knew that. Saying goodbye to Hagrid after the ceremony was a hard thing as he was not only Harry's first link to the wizarding world, but also a stalwart friend. They would miss him, and even his horrible rock cakes, terribly.

Hermione had the potion in stasis, their richly laden bags were packed, and Molly was ready with their clothes. Harry had received everything from Strongfist and with the additional sale of property, was leaving with a bit more than he expected. Hermione had returned the time turner to McGonagall with an enthusiastic thank you. She had even shared with her excitedly that the project worked and the mirrors would be patented and mass produced soon. The transfiguration professor hugged her favorite student tightly and wished her luck. Hermione was extremely thankful for having this great lady, a true mentor, in her life and she'd miss her and her guidance deeply. She would have to encourage Molly to arrange periodic mirror chats for them to speak someday in the future.

When that finally happens, McGonagall would get the shock of a lifetime!

* * *

The train ride back to King's Cross Station was a lively affair as everyone was happy for summer vacation. For the Golden Trio, it marked the last time they'd snag a compartment and hang out together snacking on chocolate frogs, playing exploding snap, or reading the Quibbler. Their next journey would involve an adventure to the past and even though their future was still uncertain, they had a clear goal in mind. Tomorrow was the day and although Scarlett, Rhett, and Suellen didn't know it yet, their lives would soon be changed.

Once the train stopped in London, everyone disembarked and started looking around for their waiting family and friends. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were met by a smiling Molly, a jovial Arthur, and a melancholy George who was still slowly healing from the loss of his twin. The joke shop was up and running, but the electric atmosphere that existed before the war had long since passed. Hermione ran up to the sullen jokester and gave him one of her patented hugs. He was stiff at first, as if he wasn't used to having contact anymore, but after a moment squeezed her back, then gently let her go.

"Good to see you, 'Brightest Witch in a Thousand Years'!" George said teasingly, a hint of his past character slowly peeking out of his shell.

"Oh no, not you, too!"

Hermione had been shocked when she read the Daily Prophet earlier that morning with her new moniker proudly displayed on the front page. She knew that she had done something incredible, but did they have to blast it all over that rag? Hermione did find some comfort that Rita Skeeter didn't write the article and she could be thankful for that small mercy. She was also thrilled that she'd never have to see that insect again. A _very_ satisfying thought, indeed.

"What's wrong, Hermione? You take a few little tests and bam! Instant fame! It's not like we didn't expect you to do something that monumental." He smiled and she couldn't help but smile, too.

"It's good to see you, George. You, too, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione greeted the rest of her secondary family with hugs and Molly squeezed her tight. The Weasley matriarch then pulled Harry and Ron into the hug as well. After they broke off the reunion, Molly grabbed Ginny and hugged her longer than the others. Ron looked at his Dad who shook his head and mouthed 'later'. Ron nodded.

"Well, everyone, are we ready to head home?"Arthur asked cheerfully. With a round of yeses, the Weasley family, plus two, made their way to Ottery St. Catchpole where all hell would soon break loose in the form of an obsessed redhead.

* * *

The happy group arrived at the Burrow around suppertime. Molly, who had already finished her dressmaking duties, had been cooking all day for the occasion and she expected the rest of the family to arrive soon. She was delighted to have a full house again, even if it was only for the night. With the kids gone and Arthur working, she had become very lonely and now with Ron, Harry, and Hermione leaving permanently, there would be fewer faces gracing her table in the coming years. She wiped her teary eyes and decided that she would simply enjoy every second with each of them tonight. Tomorrow would come soon enough.

Once everyone had made it through the door, the Hogwarts quartet drifted upstairs to stash their belongings before coming back down for dinner. The meal turned out to be a lively affair as Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and even Percy were there, all enjoying their mother's cooking. Everyone was glad to see the prodigal son back in the fold and he was obviously relieved to be accepted. It was the loss of Fred that became the tragic catalyst that brought them all together. The Weasley's figured that life was short and that they should all forgive and forget in remembrance of the one they lost.

As they were finishing up dessert, Molly said to Hermione, "Hermione, dear, those books you lent me were entertaining. I hope you don't mind, but I made myself copies as they have a lot of recipes that I'd like to try. Some were funny, but others seemed like they were similar to ones I remember as a child."

Hermione smiled. "That's no problem, Mrs. Weasley, for everything you've done for us, it's the least I could do. I can tell you where to buy more if you're willing to go into muggle London." Molly shook her head.

"Oh no, dear, there's no need for that. The ones I have now are enough. I must say that the fashions muggles wore back then weren't too much different from ours at the time. I suppose it was only within the last hundred years or so that muggles, wizards, and witches stopped progressing together. Any trip down Diagon Alley could tell you some folks will never escape dressing in the old ways." She chuckled knowing that Aunt Muriel was one of them.

"What are you both talking about?" Ginny asked curiously, looking straight at her mother.

"Ginny, dear, Hermione has some old muggle ladies magazines she lent me from the mid 1800s and she needed help with a project this year. Since I was available, what with no one home to take care of anymore, I was delighted to. I must say it was a lot of fun!" Molly grinned happily.

"What kind of project? You never said anything to me, Mione." Ginny looked hurt at being left out of something when her mother had full knowledge.

"Gin, it had to do with sewing and household stuff. I knew you grew up with it, but I asked your mum to take me under her wing a few weeks ago so I could learn, too. I had these old ladies books and wanted to know how things compared between muggle women and witches." Hermione hoped Ginny would take the bait and not press any further. She let out a small breath of relief when she did, partially.

"I never knew you were interested in all that stuff. What's with the sudden interest?"

"Well, dear, Hermione wasn't very confident in those kinds of spells and wanted to watch them in action. You know from your own experience with me how many there are that we take for granted. Muggleborns don't have the chance to appreciate them like we do so why shouldn't I help her if I can." Hermione had to admit Molly was good and Ginny was thoroughly convinced.

"Oh, is that all. That stuff's boring. I plan on playing for the Harpies as soon as I get a tryout. How about you Ron, trying out for the Cannons? I hear they're looking for a new keeper." Ginny unfortunately asked Ron about the one thing that would put him off leaving, but surprisingly, he stood his ground.

"Uh, no, I'm not sure what I'm going to do exactly for a career, but I don't think I'd be able to be a keeper, much as I'd love to," Ron answered sadly. Ginny didn't buy it.

"Come on, that's all you were talking about months ago! What changed?" It was obvious to everyone at the table that something was up. To spare the rest of the trio her ire, Harry decided to come clean seeing as she would have the biggest issue with him anyway. After tomorrow, he'd never have to worry about her obsessiveness again. He just hoped she'd get the help she clearly needed soon.

"Well, Ginny, to tell you the truth, the three of us started a soulmate ritual a few months back and once we finish it, we'll all be transported back in time to 1861," Harry said bluntly. Ginny's mouth dropped open in shock.

"How could that be when you're _my_ soulmate? That ritual has to be wrong, you're supposed to be with ME!" she shouted. "I've waited my whole life for you and you're mine! We even resemble your parents! It's a sign we're meant to be together just like them! Everyone says so!" As soon as Ginny tried to get around the table to Harry, Arthur grabbed her from behind.

"Let me GO! You don't understand! Harry, you love me, I know you do! Why are you doing this to us!" Arthur barely kept hold of her as she struggled fiercely in his embrace so Bill had to jump in to help. With the two of them working together, Ginny wasn't going anywhere.

Harry replied calmly, "Who are you to say that? All you want is the Boy Who Lived. If you haven't understood it by now, I'm a real person with real feelings and you just pushed and pushed. You wanted me for what I could do for you, not for who I really am inside. Can you truly say that's love? I'd call it obsession." Ginny's eyes flared in anger.

"How dare you say it's obsession? It's love! It's always been love and always will be. I'll never give up on us, Harry. Never!"

"Ginny, that's enough!" roared Arthur and with his raised voice, everyone else was silenced. It took a lot for Arthur to get that riled up and he'd finally reached his limit.

"We are going to St. Mungo's and the mind healers are going to examine you. This has gone on long enough. If Harry isn't interested, then you need to let him go, do you understand me?"

"NO! No, No, NO! _Harry!_ ," Ginny screamed and then she started to cry. Molly got up then and hugged her only daughter who was sobbing uncontrollably. The rest of the table sat there in shock.

"Molly, let's get her to the hospital so that she can be seen right away. Kids, I'm not sure when we'll be back, but please don't do anything until we return," Arthur said stoically, knowing that he had rough night ahead. He was grateful for Ron's warning even though he'd hoped it wouldn't be necessary.

Ron replied, "Don't worry, Dad, we can wait for a bit, but not too long as we're all about ready to crack." Arthur nodded.

"We'll get Ginny situated and determine our next course of action. We'll see you all as soon as we can." Arthur then gently lead a weeping Molly, still clutching Ginny to the floo and within moments, they were gone.

"Can someone now fill in the rest of us what just happened?" Bill asked.

A couple minutes of silence passed before Hermione started the story as she was the one found the book in the first place. The rest listened quietly as the details of the last few months unfolded and once the tale was over, the remaining Weasley's sat there stunned.

It was Bill who first recovered from the shock, He then asked Harry, "So Strongfist helped you because of the ritual and those were all your artifacts we've been cleaning up lately?" The Gringott's curse breaker asked curiously.

"Er, yeah. I didn't want to keep anything from my inheritance that was loaded with dark curses. How'd it go, then? Strongfist didn't get into it all when I met him last week to pick everything up." Harry had been really interested in cursebreaking and may have considered it as a career had things been different.

Bill replied, "Oh, it wasn't so bad. Most of the curses we found were anti-muggleborn ones. If Hermione had touched any of them, she'd have dropped dead. We were able to deal with all the pieces so everything's safe now." Bill looked over at the witch who was frowning.

"All the time and energy that was wasted in unjustly abusing a group of people makes me so angry! It's going to be hard knowing that our new home will be full of that attitude as well," Hermione raged and the Weasley brothers looked at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean, Hermione?" George asked. He'd been quiet all night so his question was a bit surprising.

"The southern American states in 1861 allowed for the owning of black slaves, as if they were less than human. They were, or should say are, the mudbloods of their society. The rich white plantation owners buy, sell, and abuse these people for the sake of being the masters of their own universe." Hermione knew that she was going to have to bide her time on that issue, but it would still hurt seeing these people abused. She then thought of the slur still raggedly cut into her arm. If it wasn't for Rhett being a Southerner, she'd move straight to New York and join the abolitionist movement.

"Well, it sounds like they treat them like human house elves. What are you going to do about that? I know how hard you worked to try and get people to see the elves differently. I don't think SPEW would go over well with those people," George replied calmly. Hermione nodded sadly.

"I know. I don't think there is much I can do, at least not right away. My soulmate, along with Harry's and Ron's, are all from the south so their mindset will be different. I just hope they aren't the type to use violence otherwise I'd be tempted to obliviate it out of them." She was determined that her Rhett would consider her views on the subject and free any slaves he may have.

"Hermione, we'll just have to see what happens after we meet them, okay?" Harry interjected. He knew how much she loved to take up the cause of the underdog and felt she would do a lot of good in their new world, even if she had to hex everyone in her way to do it.

"You're right, Harry. Let's get there first, then deal with what comes later." She gave him a small smile in thanks. He grabbed her hand from across the table an squeezed it in support.

Percy, who had also been uncharacteristically quiet that evening, asked, "So has anyone let Minister Shaklebolt know you three are leaving? You know he's going to pitch a royal fit once the Golden Trio leaves for good, right? He's been waiting for you three to graduate so he could groom you for rebuilding the ministry. Things are going to get ugly here as you three represent the Light's next generation of leaders."

Harry sneered angrily. "Well, I think we've done enough so now it's the rest of the wizarding world's turn to lend a hand. We've sacrificed, me more than anyone else, and now it's time to find some rest. That's why we initiated the ritual in the first place and now we have to finish it. I'm sure Kingsley will get over it eventually."

Percy shook his head. "Well, I understand that Harry, and I know you deserve it more than anyone. I just wanted you to know what you're leaving behind."

The Boy Who Lived Twice, Defeater of Voldemort, knew exactly what he was leaving behind and that's why he was so eager to go. His work here was done.

"I do know, Percy, and that's why I have to leave. If I don't it will never end for me because there would always be something Harry Potter has to solve, like I'm the answer to everything that goes wrong and I can't be that for everyone. I was never given a choice in the first place and now that I have one, I'm taking it. My destiny lies in the past and that is where I'll be," Harry said, resolved that he was making the right decision.

Percy nodded. "I hope you find what you're looking for. I know I haven't been the most supportive of you three, but I'll do what I can here to make our world a better place."

"Thanks," Harry replied, "I know you will and maybe you'll be the next minister after Kingsley gets tired of the job." He smiled and Percy laughed heartily.

"Well, I did always have aspirations for the position. I think Minister Weasley will have a nice ring to it."

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed. "If you're going to be minister, do us a favor and make Malfoy's life miserable, yeah?"

Harry laughed and Hermione cringed on the inside, remembering back to the strange day Draco actually admitted he liked her and then suddenly asked her out. After that, he only spoke to her about Head matters and he was always polite. She did see the lingering sadness in his eyes if she forced herself to look, but there was nothing she could do. The last she heard he was preparing to marry Astoria Greengrass which was a pairing arranged by his parents. No matter how nasty he was to her in the past, he had apologized and Hermione hoped he'd be happy in his new life.

She did wonder what Lucius' expression was after reading about her test scores in the Prophet today. Hermione bet he'd be real sore over the uppity mudblood know-it-all who was now known as the smartest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw.

Well, at least she'd never have to see his condescending arse ever again. She smirked and her boys thought she was agreeing with them over Draco. No matter, she thought, let them think what they want, her secret was safe and as far as she was concerned, it would stay that way.

"So, does anyone want to play a few rounds of exploding snap?" George asked hopefully, and the rest agreed wholeheartedly. No one wanted to see him retreat into himself again so a few rounds was just what they all needed to keep their minds busy, if only for a little while.

* * *

The next morning, the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs wafted throughout the Burrow. Molly had come home last night emotionally worn out. Arthur had stayed strong, becoming the rock she'd clung to as the mind healers examined their disturbed daughter. Once they had an idea of what may be wrong, they placed her under an enchanted sleep to allow her mind to rest. They determined that not only did the diary incident cause a severe case of post traumatic stress, but her focus on Harry as not only the wizarding world's hero, but her own as well, allowed her to build delusions and unrealistic expectations of a relationship with the Boy Who Lived. With steady potion treatment and behavioral therapy, they expected her to make a dramatic improvement. The healers warned Molly and Arthur that she'd always struggle with obsessive thoughts, but she should be able to have a normal life if she wanted one. Molly knew that she'd have to help Ginny through this and wondered if maybe having Harry located somewhere irretrievable would help her baby girl get better faster.

"Well," one of the healers said, "if the adage 'out of sight, out of mind' has any weight, if her trigger was permanently removed, it may help shock her into reality. She will need to come to terms that whatever she thought was meant to be, is actually not and this fantasy she built up for herself, was just that – a fantasy. She will be in denial for quite some time so don't expect an overnight cure. Ginny will need to work hard to help herself heal if she ever wants to have a healthy relationship someday." Molly sighed in resignation.

"Alright. We'll do all we can to help her with her recovery. How long do you think she will need to stay here?" Molly needed to see Ron, Harry and Hermione off and then she could devote all her time to Ginny's recovery.

"I'd like to keep her under the enchantment for at least another 24 hours and then we can wake her up, explain what's happening, and spell out what she will need to do to get well. If she resists violently, like you described, then we will need to immediately start a course of potions to help balance her mood. If that seems to help, she'll need to stay on the potions for at least a month and then I'd need to see her again to assess her progress." Arthur agreed with the healer's plan and Molly reluctantly relented.

"Thank you very much for taking such good care of our Ginny. We need to head home now to see to our other children, but when can we come back to see her?" Molly asked, hopeful that she could come back right after the ritual sends her babies away. She held back a sob, knowing if she started to cry, she'd probably not stop for days. Arthur put his hand on her shoulder in support and she covered his hand with hers, lovingly acknowledging the gesture.

"You can come back anytime after lunch during visiting hours. I want her mind to rest and even though she's in an enchanted sleep, she could still subconsciously pick up voices that would cause her mind to work harder than it needs to right now. Why don't you head home and if anything happens, we'll floo you immediately." The healer was a kind man and Molly felt a bit better that he'd be the one to help her Ginny.

After saying goodbye to both the healers and their sleeping child, the Weasley's floo'd back to their homestead and went immediately to bed. It had been an emotionally wrenching night and anything else, they figured, could be dealt with tomorrow. It was, after all, another day.

* * *

 **A/N: I was hoping to get through the ritual, but this chapter was taking on a life of it's own and it kept getting longer! Anyway, just wanted to let folks know I'm not a psychologist or an expert in mental health, I just went with what made sense to me regarding Ginny's situation. Also, I wanted to tie in Hermione's passion for house elf rights with the cause of helping slaves especially due to her discrimination experiences in the wizarding world. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I expect to get another one out soon!**


	4. Chapter 4: Love is a Leap, Part III

**Chapter 4: Love is a Leap, Part III**

After several rounds of exploding snap, without the return of Arthur and Molly, the Golden Trio decided to call it a night. The rest of the Weasley's then chose to head out and wait for their parents to contact them about Ginny. They all said a heartfelt goodbye, knowing this would be the last time they'd see them in person. George was particularly upset knowing that he'd in essence be losing another brother. Ron tried to cheer him up by telling him that the mirrors Hermione made to keep in touch with the family would be dedicated to Fred. She then made sure to add that all royalties were set to go to the Weasley family. He started crying and thanking her for honoring his memory. Once the tears had been shed and all hugs dispensed, it was soon only Ron, Harry, and Hermione left at the table.

"This is hard. How are we going to live without them?" Ron asked sadly, broken up over George and knowing that tomorrow would be the last time he could ever hug his mother.

"It's hard letting go. Obliviating my parents knowing that I'd never see them again was the worst thing I ever had to do. They are safe and happy in their ignorance and that gives me comfort. It also makes it easier for me to finish the ritual. I have to believe that being with Rhett will help and over time, hopefully, we'll have our own family and start new traditions. I just keep focusing on my belief that it will all be worth it in the end," Hermione explained, trying to console her friend.

"At least you have the mirrors, mate. You have a way to keep in touch and that's more than Hermione and I have. The only way to talk to my parents would be to use the resurrection stone again and I wouldn't want to now. They are happy with Padfoot and Moony and I know I'll see them again someday," Harry added and Ron sat there pensively.

He suddenly replied, "Yeah, you're both right. I have to believe that my life with Suellen will be worth it. We all could have died during the war, but now we have this chance to be with our soulmates. I guess if everyone knew they could do this, they'd be lining up to try." Hermione nodded.

"That's why after I made the copy for Strongfist I hid the book at Hogwarts. I didn't want anyone else to find it easily and I couldn't take it from school grounds. It now resides in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Hey, you didn't ask me for help, how'd you get in?" Harry asked, surprised at her ability to bypass the parseltongue password.

"Oh I have a secret weapon," she replied slyly. "I have a pensieve and I was able to project the memory of Ron imitating you from the final battle when we went after the fang. Worked like a charm!" She looked at them both smugly.

"Huh? I knew you could make projections because of all the time I spent with Dumbledore and his pensieve in sixth year, but I didn't think to use it like that. Where did you get one anyway, I thought they were rare?" Harry was intrigued.

"Well, that day in Diagon Alley when I was looking into the history of magical America, I just so happened across a new shop. It was filled with all sorts of hodge podge, so I decided to take a look. I don't think they knew what they had because I was able to get it for a galleon. I checked all the runes first to make sure it still worked and what's amazing about this one is that there is a set of runes to allow it to shrink and then enlarge again with a touch of a wand. That makes it very portable and I thought it would be useful to show our soulmates about our lives someday."

"That's incredible, Mione! Can muggles use them?" Ron asked excitedly, obviously thinking about Suellen.

She replied, "Not that I know of, but since it can project, no one needs to jump into the memory to see them. Rhett and Scarlett may want to experience things the conventional way, but that's probably a long way off. Anyway, are you both ready for tomorrow?"

"I'm ready. I've got everything packed except for the clothes Molly made. I went through the Potter and Black heirlooms and found some interesting pieces I think will work for us now that all the curses are gone." He continued, "I found some functional pocket watches for me and Ron, cravat tacks, cufflinks, rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, you name it, I've probably got something that's close to it. There are tiaras and diadems, too. Maybe you should have one, Hermione, since you're now the smartest witch since Ravenclaw," Harry said jokingly. She snorted.

"I think that I'll have to take a look at your loot and see what I like. I know what I want to wear tomorrow so I'll probably need to see if you have any onyx earrings."

Harry replied, "I think so, they're the black stones, right?" She nodded. "Yeah, I have some of those, along with any other gem you can think of. I don't think you'll ever need to buy a piece of jewelry again if you can stand wearing something from the Blacks." Hermione grimaced, but then smirked.

"Well, I think I could. It would be fitting right, kind of like the spoils of war. Now that I know I won't drop dead by even looking at them funny, it will be a pleasure to show them off." She grinned.

"That's our girl!" Ron chimed in, "I bet if you walked into Number 12 wearing something from the vault, old Walburga be'd so barmy she'd implode. You could get rid of that nasty painting easily now, Harry." Harry instead had a huge grin like he knew something they didn't.

"What'd you do, Harry?" Hermione asked her brother and he kept grinning.

"Oh, I had Strongfist gut the place. Her portrait was the first thing to go right after I gave Kreature clothes. He was so upset he beheaded himself."

Hermione gasped, "No!" Harry nodded.

"He was so old and set in his ways as a Black elf that the idea of being freed was too much for him. He had been given the option of working at Hogwarts, but suddenly his head was gone. Strongfist had some goblins take care of him and now the property sits vacant. The fidelius charm is gone along with anything magical so he'll just sell it to some muggles and put the funds in the Weasley's vault. I watched Walburga burn, so I think Sirius would be proud."

"Yeah, mate. I bet Sirius would still be laughing over that one if he could. Good show, Harry!" Ron beamed at his best friend who then spontaneously stood up and took a bow.

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here until tomorrow." Harry sat back down and even Hermione couldn't keep a straight face.

"Oh, Harry. Never change." He blew her a kiss and she burst out laughing. They all then went to bed knowing that tomorrow would be upon them soon enough.

* * *

The wonderful aroma coming from downstairs gently woke the trio from their slumber. It was still early, but considering there was still much to do, it would be best to get the day started. Ron, Harry, and Hermione all met up at the landing of the stairs and proceeded down to the kitchen. Molly, who hadn't slept much the night before, was up making enough food for a small army.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said and Molly turned to acknowledge her greeting.

"The same to you, dear. I hope you're all hungry. I figured you'd need to at least have a good breakfast before you go. You don't know what kind of food you'll have next so the least I can do is send you off right." She gave the three a weak smile which prompted Hermione to hug her from behind as Molly was still browning bacon at the stove.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. You're the best," Hermione said truthfully and Molly let a tear escape.

"Oh, don't get me started yet. I'll have plenty of these to come later on. Come now, sit down and eat. Arthur should be up anytime now and, oh here he is!" As Molly was speaking, Arthur had just come down the stairs and was approaching the table.

"Good morning, everyone. How are you all fairing this fine day?" They could tell that even though the words were there, Arthur's typical enthusiasm was not.

"I'm fine, Mr. Weasley. How did everything go? We all called it a night and you both hadn't returned yet," Harry asked, concerned for his foster parents and even for Ginny.

Arthur replied, "Well, let's all sit down to a nice breakfast and we'll fill you in on what happened. Then we need to take care of you three before we head back to the hospital." He looked tired and the three knew that today would be hard on them all. The four sat down at the table, which was already set with Molly's finest dishware, as she started laying platters of deliciousness in front of them. Once she was done, they all dug in, Ron especially, until they were pleasantly full. Molly cleared the dishes and then graciously accepted Hermione's help to clean up now that she knew the spells. In no time at all, they were sitting down with some coffee, ready to discuss the plan for the day.

"Well," Arthur said, "Ginny is under an enchanted sleep right now as the doctor wanted her mind to really rest. We will be heading back there this afternoon to see how she's doing. Once the doctors wake her up, she will most likely need a course of mood altering potions with behavioral therapy. They do think that she was scarred by the diary incident and was fixated on you, Harry, due to your hero status and because you saved her personally as a little girl. You were her shining prince and never thought you'd be otherwise. She's got a long road to travel before she'll be well, but we'll take good care of our baby girl." Molly became teary thinking of what Ginny will have to endure next with treatment and hoped she wouldn't fight it too hard.

Hermione interjected, "That sounds like what would happen in the muggle world, too. There is such a thing as post traumatic stress and it can cause all sorts of havoc on a person. I really hope she'll be okay. We're not leaving to hurt her, we're just looking for our other halves." Molly gave her a watery smile.

"We know that, dear, and Ginny will understand it someday." She took a deep breath and stood up. "So who wants to see all the clothes I made for you?"

* * *

Hermione gasped at the large collection of dresses in front of her. Since Molly could use magic with her dressmaking there was no need for dress forms as they were all suspended midair.

"Mrs. Weasley, these are amazing! I don't think I'll ever be this good even after you taught me all your tricks." She stared at the older woman in awe.

"Hermione, dear, I've just had lots of practice, seven children you know, so don't give up and one day you could probably even make better ones." Molly had really enjoyed this project and figured maybe she could make herself a dress next just for the fun of it.

"I'd like to wear the black and white day dress today with a white and black attitude hat I transfigured to match." Hermione had chosen as one of her patterns a white dress with black trim around the hem and throughout the bodice, which made it look like a little jacket. There was a bold greek key motif running around the bottom edge of the skirt, at the small of her back, and along the edges of the jacket. She had loved this pattern when she saw it and with the addition of the hat and some of the onyx earrings Harry promised she could have, she may just look like she fit in 1861.

"What do you want to do with your hair?" Molly asked and Hermione had to think for a moment.

"I believe I'll do a side ponytail with ringlet curls, and add some wave to the top. These hairstyles seem really complicated and I don't know how I'll be able to manage on my own." The younger witch looked to Molly for help.

"Well, there are all sorts of spells for that. When you're ready, I'll show you a few I figured out while looking through your old books. Don't worry about a thing. Now, should we check on the boys to see how they're handling this?" Hermione giggled knowing that Ron was not going to be happy.

* * *

"Bloody hell, I have to wear _what_?" Ron cursed and Harry laughed.

"We have to pick a suit and wear all the undergarments, too. The long white pants are called drawers, I think, and they have to be worn under the normal pants because they'd be too itchy." Harry also couldn't believe the layers they'd have to wear to pull off the look of an 1860's gentleman.

"Well, that's stupid." Ron frowned.

"Yeah, well, it's what we have to do. At least we can use cooling charms if we get too hot." Harry grinned. He loved magic.

"Okay, boys, are you clear on what you're wearing?" Hermione had popped into Ron's room with Molly in tow to check on their progress.

"Yeah, I suppose. We just need to get dressed and then manage our hair and accessories. We'll need your help for that part." She nodded.

"Okay, well, while you're getting dressed, pick out the black earrings for me and then pull out the watches and cufflinks. If you're wearing cravats, then pull out some tacks. If you're wearing bow ties, you won't need those. I need to get dressed and then finish the potion. All I need to do is add one ingredient and stir three times counterclockwise. The potion will then turn red, which means it's finally ready. We will each drink a full goblet then repeat the following phrase three times: _dilectus meus misit me._ After that, we'll be on our way. From what I read, it should feel a bit like a portkey, but less jarring. Anyway, let's all get dressed, gather our stuff and head downstairs where we'll do the ritual."

Hermione went off with Molly to dress in her selected outfit, fix her hair, and pack her remaining dresses and underclothes while the boys joked around as they got dressed. In the end, the three time travelers looked as though they stepped out from Hermione's magazines. Harry and Ron were decked out in day suits, both with gray pants and black jackets. They had on different waistcoats, though, where Harry's was green with black accents, Ron's was a muted gold. Harry had went with a black and silver checked cravat while Ron favored a black and gold pinstriped one. They had added their accessories and Molly made sure to take a quick photo of the Golden Trio so she'd have one more keepsake before they left for good.

Arthur and Molly made sure to give each one them a last hug and kiss before stepping back while Hermione finished the potion. She added, stirred, and saw that it became the perfect shade of red. She immediately ladled some into three goblets then vanished the rest. She then put the empty cauldron in her beaded bag, which was charmed black to match her outfit and filled with all her earthly belongings. The boys were each strapped with a leather satchel filled with all their things plus a lot of cash and gold. They were finally ready.

"Okay, this is it. Drink, chant, and I'll see you in 1861 Georgia somewhere near Twelve Oaks. On the count of three: one, two, three!" Each member of the trio chugged the potion, which surprisingly tasted like berries, then chanted the phrase three times that would send them each to their true loves. Immediately after the final syllable was uttered, a flash of light enveloped them and they were gone.

Molly broke down in tears, falling to the floor. Arthur simply decided to set his pride aside, and joined her.

* * *

In a blinding flash, Hermione shut her eyes and felt the world shift. As quickly as the light came, it faded and the witch could tell she was now outside as a gentle breeze was floating about her. Birds were chirping and everything smelled fresh and new. With her other senses appeased, she opened her eyes to take in the amazing sight of farmland and red clay. She made it! Oh, but what about Harry and Ron?

"Hermione, where are we?" She heard Harry's voice ask and she breathed out a sigh of relief. She turned and saw that both of her boys were there with her. She rushed over to them and gave each an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, this is so incredible! I believe we made it to Georgia alright, see the red clay and the cotton fields." She turned around to look at where they were which was very close to a dirt road. She cast a tempus charm to confirm that they were when they expected to be. Glowing letters and numbers floated in the air and established what they already believed to be true: _April 16, 1861, 9 am_. She canceled the charm and smiled brightly. She then cast a point me charm in relation to Twelve Oaks Plantation and her wand directed her to the west. Satisfied, she canceled that charm, too.

"Okay. We made it and Twelve Oaks is in that direction." She pointed where her wand had indicated they should go. Harry and Ron both grinned. All the work Hermione poured into this effort paid off and they were finally in the same time period as their soulmates. Just a little longer and they'd actually get to meet them in person. The pull was still there, but they knew from the ritual that as soon as their eyes met, the pull would vanish. They expected that to be resolved today at the plantation.

"So now that we're here and planted in a cotton field, how are we going to explain our presence? I know we were hoping to be close enough to Jonesboro to blend in first, but that's out the window now. What do you think, Hermione?" Harry asked and even she looked a bit perplexed. After a moment, she had an idea.

"Well, if we could find a large log or tree, I could transfigure it into a carriage with a broken wheel. We could say the driver took off with the horse and left us stranded. The famous Southern hospitality of anyone passing by should take care of the rest." She beamed at her idea and since the boys couldn't come up with anything better, they took off to find a fallen tree for Hermione.

It took them about ten minutes, but in the end, they had a handsome open carriage with a broken wheel. Hermione, as the supposed lady, climbed into the carriage while the boys stood around looking at the wheel, pretending to debate about what should be done with it. It was a good thing, too, as moments later they could hear another carriage approaching from around the nearby bend, whose view had been blocked by trees.

Looking up, the trio could see an older gentleman seated on a white stallion, riding alongside another open carriage. Inside there were three girls and it didn't take long for Harry and Ron to recognize two of them.

"Hello, there! What happened here?" The man asked in an Irish lilt. The trio smiled and as previously decided, Harry was to be the spokesman.

"Hello, we had a bit of trouble with our wheel and the hired driver abandoned us by taking the horse. We have been discussing what to do for ages before you encountered us here." The Irishman smiled brightly.

"Well, it has been awhile since I've heard an Englishman speak. Where are you from, originally, and how did you end up here of all places?"

Harry answered according to their pre-prepared story, "Well, I'm from Surrey, my friend here is from Devon, and the dear lady in the carriage is from Oxford. As to what we are doing here, we have recently arrived in America and decided to depart the train in Jonesboro. We found a carriage and have been looking around the countryside, simply taking it all in when we had our mishap." Harry smiled and the other man started laughing.

"I would have expected you to head to Atlanta, our closest city, instead of Jonesboro, but no matter, you are here now. My name is Gerald O'Hara and I own the plantation down yonder called Tara and these here are my daughters, Katie Scarlett, Suellen, and Careen." He had first gestured to the east where his land was situated and then indicated to each girl in turn. "May we get your names?" Gerald asked.

"Ah, yes," Harry replied. "My name is Harry Potter and my colleague here is Ronald Weasley. Our dear friend is Miss Hermione Granger." Hermione nods in greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you."

Gerald beams brightly at having met fellow Europeans. "Well, now, I don't suppose we could be leaving you here like this. We are on our way to a barbeque at the neighboring plantation, Twelve Oaks, and I'd like to invite you all to join us. I could then introduce you to John Wilkes, the owner, and the rest of the folks from the county. It should be a grand time! Please say you'll come."

Gerald looked hopeful while the girls were quiet. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione who both gave subtle nods. He looked at Scarlett who met his gaze boldly and his pull immediately stopped. She was eying him appreciatively and even gave him a bit of a smile.

"We would love to, thank you for inviting us along." Gerald gave Harry a slap on the back while Ron helped Hermione down from the "broken" carriage and escorted her to the O'Hara's. As he was helping her climb, he noticed Suellen staring at him intently, and once their eyes met, his pull vanished. He took a small breath in relief and Suellen gave him a flirty smile. Once Hermione was situated, Harry and Ron hopped up to sit next to the driver, who then urged the horses forward to Twelve Oaks.

* * *

As the horses were clipping along, Miss Scarlett O'Hara, Belle of the County, was staring at the back of one Mr. Harry Potter, curious about this dark, mysterious stranger. She then looked across the carriage where Miss Granger was sitting next to Careen. She was a beautiful and exotic creature who would definitely stand out at the barbeque. Anyone new to the area was sure to be an attention getter amongst the single men. A surge of jealously flooded through her at that thought so Scarlett would certainly have to keep a close eye on her competition.

She then turned to observe her sister, Suellen, who was intensely focused on the back of Mr. Weasley's red head. Scarlett thought that if she didn't know better, he could almost pass himself off as a Tarleton. She wondered what old Frank Kennedy would think seeing Suellen eying up another man. Even she thought her annoying sister could do better than that old maid in britches and it was starting to look like that would be the case.

It was odd, she pondered, that these three folks from England would just so happen upon them on their way to Twelve Oaks. Today was the day she'd tell Ashley she loved him and she didn't need any distractions. If she could do that, he couldn't marry Melanie, that mousy, weak-willed girl whose brother was no more than an annoyance. She had decided that if she could just get Ashley alone, she would confess her heart and he'd make the better choice.

Scarlett remained quiet for the remainder of the trip to Twelve Oaks, her mind set on finally making Ashley hers.

* * *

The arrival at Twelve Oaks was a grand affair. Carriages were lining up to drop off their passengers at the front portico of a very large mansion. People were milling about everywhere and Hermione was getting excited. She knew that soon she'd see Rhett for the first time and had to hide her eagerness for their turn to disembark.

Gerald had already dismounted his horse which was then lead away by a servant, not a slave, as Hermione refused to think of them as slaves right then so she could get through the day. Their new host approached an older gentleman who was balding and had tufts of white hair on either side of his head. Hermione thought that this must be John Wilkes, the owner of Twelve Oaks. She also noticed a girl, about her age, standing next to Mr. Wilkes who was wearing a plain brown dress with ivory lace around the collar. She also had on an embellished hair snood which Hermione had learned was popular in this period. Harry and Ron had already climbed down from the front of the carriage and were waiting to assist the girls down as well.

Hermione went first as Ron grabbed her hand and maneuvered her down the unfolded steps. She quickly stood aside to allow Harry to do the same for Scarlett. The girl gave him a polite thank you and hurriedly made her way up the steps towards her father. She could tell Harry felt a bit hurt, but shook it off quickly, as if he knew this would happen. Apparently, Scarlett was going to be a tough nut to crack.

Ron took his turn to assist Suellen, who gave him a bright and flirty smile. He gave her one in return and led her away so Harry could assist Careen. The youngest O'Hara was very polite and Hermione felt that she must be the calmest of all three sisters while Scarlett was the biggest handful. She figured Suellen was somewhere in between.

As they approached Gerald and Mr. Wilkes, the boisterous Irishman called them over.

"John, here they are, our visitors from England! Let me introduce you to Mr. Harry Potter of Surrey, Mr. Ronald Weasley of Devon, and Miss Hermione Granger from Oxford. This is Mr. John Wilkes, owner of this fine plantation and his lovely daughter, India."

John gave a polite smile and said, "Welcome to Twelve Oaks. Gerald here was telling me of your troubles this morning. If you allow, we can certainly do something about the rogue who left you stranded. We don't let things like that go here." He looked stern and Harry took this as his cue to assume his leadership position.

"Well, I do appreciate your assistance, but I'm sure he's long gone by now. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, but it looks like he was just looking for a quick bit of cash. I'm sure we could do with a ride back to Jonesboro at some point if someone would be willing to take us." Hermione was impressed with Harry's behavior. He obviously took all the coaching on manners to heart.

Gerald replied, "Now, now, I'm sure we could host you at Tara for a spell and I could show you about the place. I believe that Miss Granger would get along splendidly with my wife, Ellen, and my daughters. We have plenty of room for each of you!" Hermione was amazed at his acceptance and figured it was because they were from England.

Harry smiled. "That is very kind of you. I think we shall accept your gracious offer. We've been enjoying our travels around your fine country so seeing the workings of a thriving plantation would be brilliant." The witch could see Ron trying to hide a grin as now the two of them would be in close proximity to their soulmates. If now only she could meet Rhett as the pull was getting stronger...

"That's settled then! We shall all enjoy the barbeque and the ball tonight and then take care of the details," Gerald said happily. "My wife is dealing with some business at Tara, but she will be here for the ball tonight."

Mr. Wilkes replied sincerely, "Yes, please join us today. I hope you will enjoy all that we have to offer here in Clayton County."

"Thank you, Mr. Wilkes and Mr. O'Hara, you've both been most kind to us in our time of need. I do believe my friends and I will have a grand time today," Harry stated and Gerald beamed.

"Alright then, enjoy your day and I shall see you boys later on for brandy and cigars." Hermione hid a smirk knowing that her two cohorts were in for a trial by fire as she figured it would be all boring war talk and bragging. In about four years, this air of carefree indulgence would be long destroyed. It made her sad to know that many of the men she'd walk by today would most likely be dead by then, or at least wounded in some way. She straightened herself and then followed Harry and Ron into the front entry hall.

Her first impression was that this place was way over the top. The two large staircases and vaulted ceiling made her feel like she was back in the Great Hall at Hogwarts just for the sheer amount of space it encompassed. She continued to follow Harry and Ron who chose to stand to the side, out of the way of the other entering guests. Hermione could tell that they felt as out of place as she did because they just weren't comfortable enough to strike up random conversations with the strangers milling about. She decided to break the silence.

"How are you both doing now that you've seen Scarlett and Suellen?" Hermione asked quietly. Ron answered just as softly, "It's amazing, Mione, as soon as your eyes lock, the pull stops. Have you seen Rhett yet?" She looked up and scanned the vast room until she saw someone staring at her with a smirk on his face. Her eyes met his and it was just as Ron described – the pull vanished and she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She gave the man a smirk in return and he chuckled.

"I just did. See the man over there smiling and laughing at me, that's him." The boys casually looked at the man she indicated on the other side of the hall.

"So that's him, eh?" Harry asked. "He looks kinda shady to me, but I know looks aren't everything. Just be careful, okay?"

Hermione nodded. "Of course, oh and I can already see yours is going to be a handful." She watched as Scarlett was looking around the entry for someone and then obviously spotted them on the staircase. "Will you be alright?"

Harry followed her gaze and saw Scarlett speaking to another man. "I think so, I mean I know what I saw in the cauldron about her and it kind of disturbed me a bit, but I'll probably have to be very patient. I mean, we've known what we have about them for months and they know nothing. It isn't fair to expect a lot right now as we need to get to know them first." Ron nodded.

"Yeah, mate, I hear ya. We really didn't know what to expect when we arrived and now we're closer than ever. We've got time, right?" Hermione agreed. They had time.

* * *

When Harry had walked through the door, he felt very out of place. Here he was in 1861, completely out of his element. He was grateful that Ron and Hermione were here with him as their familiar presence comforted him. They all knew that it would be an adjustment, living in a new era, but he felt like they were in the deep end of a pool not knowing how to swim. Harry looked around and saw all the different people going to and fro, laughing and having a good time. He knew this wouldn't last as the war would begin at any minute, but for the moment, it was nice to see.

The man Hermione pointed out as Rhett looked like he'd be a fun guy to hang around with. Everyone else seemed so proper as if anything less was unthinkable. He also wondered how he'd do learning magic. It will probably be a great shock to him, but at least he'd have Hermione there teaching him. Harry couldn't think of anyone better for the job and of course he'd offer to help. He'd have to ask Hermione what she thought of also working with Scarlett. He had mixed feelings about giving her a wand as she looked like she'd use it unpredictably, but if it was him, he'd want to know. He decided he'd just need to get to know her first.

"Ashley!"

Harry heard Scarlett's voice call out and he noticed Hermione track his soulmate while she approached a man on the staircase. It was the same scene he observed in his cauldron so it wasn't a surprise to him. He could see that Scarlett was smitten with the man, but he seemed to be a bit reserved. He watched their interaction closely and then saw as they met up with a woman at the bottom of the stairs. They conversed for a few minutes and he saw the man named Ashley wrap a shawl lovingly around the new woman. It was obvious to him that this upset Scarlett, but she was trying to wave it off. Harry was curious and he hoped to find out more about that situation soon.

Harry then watched Scarlett as she parted from the couple and started walking up the stairs, flirting her way past every man she saw before she met up with another girl. They appeared to chat for a bit before making their way to the second floor and out of sight. Harry sighed and then looked at Ron who had been longingly staring at Suellen. He saw that she'd been conversing with India Wilkes about something and then looked up to see Ron's gaze. She smiled brightly and he could tell his friend was blushing.

"So, Ron, it looks like things are going well for you already." Harry ribbed his friend who was still blushing.

"Um, yeah. It seems she likes me. I hope so anyway. It's like you said Harry, we need time to see how things go."

Harry smiled, grateful that at least one of them was making progress.

* * *

Hermione excused herself from the boys as she wanted to wander around a bit. What she really wanted was to find the library and promised to meet up with them at the barbeque. Before she could get too far, however, Suellen approached her.

"Hello, again, Miss Granger, how are you finding Twelve Oaks?"

Hermione answered politely "Very well, Miss O'Hara, this is a very fine home. I'm looking forward to seeing Tara as well." The other girl smiled dismissively.

"Oh, Tara? It's not a grand as Twelve Oaks, but it's home. Our father loves the place dearly, as if it was his own flesh and blood. I'm not much for wanting to run a farm, but for someone used to life in England, it will probably be boring for you." Hermione smiled, getting the idea that Suellen wanted to have a more glamorous life.

"Oh well, England is fine. I'm sure it's as boring to me because it's home. We three decided to tour America as we were looking for adventure and it seems we've found some here. This morning we couldn't have imagined ending up attending such a fine party considering we were stranded in what we thought was the middle of nowhere." Suellen was pensive.

"Well, I do hope you will enjoy staying with us. My elder sister, Scarlett, is the biggest flirt in the county as I'm sure you've seen already and my little sister, Careen, is as sweet as our mother who couldn't be here this morning. You'll get to meet her tonight at the ball. What do you say to exploring the upstairs? You can tell me all about your friends!" Suellen beamed after mentioning Hermione's friends, which she translated into wanted to know more about Ron. She complied.

"Alright then, lead the way."

Suellen started to guide Hermione upwards then asked, "Where did you get that lovely dress? It's very beautiful!" Hermione grinned genuinely knowing that Molly did an amazing job on all her dresses and gowns.

"Oh, I have a brilliant seamstress back home who really outdid herself on all my dresses and gowns. She wanted to send me off to America with the best and I believe she accomplished just that. This is one of my favorites!" Hermione answered truthfully and Suellen appeared a bit jealous. Figuring that changing the conversation at this point would be a good idea, she looked around as they continued up the staircase. It was from there that she noticed Rhett at the bottom, looking devastatingly handsome and leaning forward on the railing with a drink in hand. She knew instantly that this was the image she saw in her cauldron that fateful day of the first ritual. Hermione had decided on a new topic.

"Miss O'Hara, could you tell me about that man staring from the bottom of the stairs? He seems very intense." She figured she could probably come across some valuable information about Rhett through ladies gossip.

Suellen glanced at the man in question and replied, "Well, I'm not certain, but I could easily find out for you. There are sure to be some ladies here that know about him." She paused debating about something then asked, "What can you tell me about Mr. Weasley?" Hermione looked at her seeing a very interested girl and decided to help Ron out.

"Well, I've known him and Mr. Potter for many years now. We all attended a very exclusive school in the north of Scotland which accepted both boys and girls. We became good friends and after we left, the three of us decided to travel and have all sorts of adventures. Ronald is a very good man, loyal and brave, and very much like a brother. So is Harry. They've been the best friends I could ever ask for and love them both dearly." She smiled wistfully, remembering all of the things they've been through together, even time travel. Suellen had a look of awe about her.

"He sounds like a great man. Do you think he would like to talk to me?" Hermione smiled thinking that this was going to be easy. Ron was so going to owe her.

"I do believe so as I caught him staring at you earlier. I could always nudge him your way if you wish," Hermione said conspiratorially, making it sound like it would be great fun to plot something with her new acquaintance.

"Oh, yes, if you believe he would be interested," Suellen said calmly, but Hermione could tell she was really excited about the idea.

"Just leave that to me. Now let's go exploring!"

* * *

The two girls wandered around the second floor of Twelve Oaks, peaking into different rooms, even the ones where the girls would be napping later on. Hermione still couldn't get over that concept, but she could always use that time to sneak away and find the library. As Hermione was appreciating an ornamentally framed landscape in the corridor, she and Suellen overheard an interesting conversation from a nearby room with an opened door.

"Cathleen, you haven't gotten to any of the good gossip yet."

Hermione could tell that the girl speaking was Scarlett. She immediately looked over at Suellen who was frowning at the possibility of running into her older sister. The other girl with Scarlett, Cathleen, asked, "Well, did you hear about the man who's here? Rhett Butler?" Hermione's ears perked up.

"Who?" Scarlet answered.

Cathleen continued, "He's not received. He was turned out of West Point and then took a girl out buggy riding in the late afternoon without a chaperone. They came back late and he refused to marry her. The girl was ruined."

Hermione heard a gasp from Scarlett. "Well, I don't think I'll be getting anywhere near this Mr. Butler." There was a pause before she asked Cathleen, "Are you ready to go back downstairs? I'm curious about those three visitors from England, especially the dark haired one. Did you see his eyes? They were even more green than mine! And he has the most unusual scar on his forehead."

Hermione could tell the conversation was ending so she nudged Suellen into an empty room next door before they were caught eavesdropping. Suellen got the hint and moved quickly enough for both of them to make it out of sight. They then heard Scarlett and Cathleen talking about their dresses for the ball as they were walking away towards the staircase.

Once their voices were gone, Hermione turned back to Suellen and asked, "Should I be warning Harry about her?" Suellen sighed.

"Scarlett is this force of nature. If she sees something she wants, she'll go after it with all her might. Lately, she's been all dreamy eyed over Ashley Wilkes, and I think she flirts will all the boys in the county to try and get his attention and make him jealous. I heard from his sister, India, earlier that Ashley will soon be marrying Melanie Hamilton, their cousin. Scarlett is going to be really upset and she may turn to your friend for attention." Hermione nodded.

"Thank you for the insight. Let's go back downstairs as I'm sure the barbeque must be starting soon, right?"

Suellen agreed and both ladies made their way to entry hall where Hermione would seek out Harry and Ron.

* * *

While Hermione was off with Suellen, Harry and Ron were being escorted around the estate by Gerald O'Hara, who was in his element presenting his two new friends to everyone he knew. Their host introduced them to many of the "bucks" of the county, as he called them, including the Tarleton twins. Ron took an immediate liking to the red heads as they vaguely reminded him of his own twin brothers.

Harry was polite to everyone he met, but he was also observant, taking in all of the environment he could to get a better idea of how to act in his new world. He had seen Rhett wandering about, but mostly staying to himself. Harry got the idea that he was somewhat of a black sheep as no one he spoke to so far had so much as mentioned him. He wondered how he'd ended up here in the first place.

Soon, it was time for the barbeque and everyone congregated to where the food had been meticulously placed. The boys watched everyone move through the buffet and when it was their turn, followed suit. Ron, of course, was starving, but even he made sure to follow along with social protocol. By the time they took a seat at one of the many tables set up for diners, they saw Hermione and Suellen enter the line. Once they also had their food, the girls approached the table and as they saw other men doing, stood up and assisted the girls into their seats. They sat back down and the quartet began to eat.

During the meal, Harry looked up to see Scarlett surrounded by what he learned earlier were all her beaux, including the Tarleton twins. He also saw Charles Hamilton, another man they met earlier, trying to cozy up to her and she seemed, at least superficially, to appreciate his attention. He observed her trying to discreetly watch Ashley Wilkes and Charles' sister, Melanie, together and her face turned sour. Harry had met Ashley briefly on his parade with Gerald and learned that he would soon be marrying Melanie. This thought made him happy, knowing that his soulmate couldn't take her infatuation with the blond gentleman too far. He didn't know what she saw in him as he seemed to have a flat personality, but he only just got here and didn't know either of them. Harry decided that he would just keep an eye on the situation.

For Ron, he was having an incredible time. The food was excellent and he got to sit next to Suellen who kept shyly smiling at him between bites. With real effort, he was able to stick to the table manners Hermione had drilled into his skull at Hogwarts and managed to resist the urge to stuff his face. He could tell she was proud of him by the way she smiled.

Ron decided at that moment he could really get used to this life.

* * *

Hermione enjoyed the barbeque, which was excellent, and was soaking up the beautiful April day when she noticed Rhett staring at her from a nearby table. Deciding to be cheeky, she raised an eyebrow at him in response and he started to smirk. She smiled genuinely in response and then continued with her meal. Once they had finished dessert, she was informed by Suellen that it was time for all the girls to go take their naps while the men took their brandy and cigars in the dining room. Hermione looked over at Harry and Ron who nodded that they would be okay. She then left with all the other women to rest, or in her case, wait until everyone was asleep and sneak off to the library. A couple of charms later and she'd have complete privacy.

Being a witch certainly had it's advantages.

* * *

Scarlett was determined to find time to speak with Ashley. So far he had been elusive, but she knew her best time to catch him would be while all the ladies were napping. She couldn't understand why they all had to do that while the men could stay up and talk, but she figured it was a way to get rid of them all for a while. No one else seemed to complain so no one listened to her.

Once she was sure everyone else was asleep, Scarlett quietly attempted to dress when she heard someone else trying to get her attention. She turned around to find Miss Granger looking to do the same thing.

"Do you think you could help me while I help you? I can't sleep and I want to find the library," she asked and Scarlett thought it was a good idea that way she could locate Ashley sooner.

"Alright, but let's be quick as I need to find someone." The other woman nodded and then they each swiftly assisted the other with their dresses. Scarlett noticed that Miss Granger wasn't wearing a corset, but when she was dressed, it looked as if she was. Curious as to what kind of dress could do that, she made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Thank you, Miss O'Hara. Could you point me in the right direction?" Since Scarlett was already heading that way she agreed. The two then set off to complete their respective missions.

* * *

In the dining room, Harry and Ron got a front row seat to the heated debate going on amongst the county's best gentlemen. Gerald was particularly animated and the Tarleton twins were more than happy to keep interjecting their thoughts to help stir up the group.

"We all know that the Yankees can't fight and we can!" Gerald stated forcefully, which garnered a lot of approval from the room. Stuart Tarleton started to belittle the bravery of northern men while Charles Hamilton exaggerated about how one southerner could beat "twenty Yankees". The conversation continued with the agreement that gentlemen could fight better than 'rabble' , whatever that was, until Gerald asked Ashley what he thought of it all.

"I hope that we can leave the Union in peace, but if war breaks out, I'll fight. I will follow Georgia into battle to defend our homes and our way of life."

Harry knew that this wasn't what everyone else was expecting and after being questioned, Ashley answered, "War causes nothing but misery and when it's all over, no one remembers what it was all about."

Riled up, the men start shouting and it's Gerald that calms them down. Turning to Rhett, he asks, "Well, you've been up north, Mr. Butler, surely you agree with us?"

Harry observed the aloof man who had, up until then, been calmly smoking a cigar and listening to the foolishness being spread about the room. If he could only show these men about the horrors he'd seen in another war, they'd think twice about their arrogant stance. Since he couldn't, he kept his silence.

"Well, gentlemen, I think it takes more than rhetoric to win a war."

Charles wasn't pleased with this comment and made it known. Rhett didn't take offense to his attitude and began to state his reasons as to why the north was better prepared for war. Of course this didn't go over well with the masses and Charles decided to exert what he must have saw as superiority over Hermione's soulmate. The young fool got right up into Rhett's face to call him out.

"I've heard, Mr. Butler, that you were not only turned out of West Point, but that you are no longer received in Charleston, not even with your own family."

Rhett stood there for a moment, examining Charles as if he were simply a bug that perhaps he should squash, when he suddenly backed down.

"I do apologize for all my obvious shortcomings." Rhett then turned to Ashley and stated that he'd like to wander around and let the rest of the men continue with their "dreams of victory". Harry then watched him leave and wished he could join him. Ron looked at Harry worriedly and he just shook his head. After Ashley calmed Charles down, and probably saved his life in the process, he told the group he'd show Rhett around as he was, still after all, a guest.

"Well, then," Gerald said, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. What are your thoughts about the war seeing as you're both visitors?" Harry almost wanted to curse the man for putting him on the spot, but he wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. He certainly wouldn't back down from something as uncomfortable as an unwanted question.

"I suppose with our traveling we haven't been paying too much attention to your political issues. I can't give you a valid answer without knowing all of the facts. Could you fill us in on what has been happening? Since we're here, we should know what we've gotten ourselves into, yes?" Harry looked around the room and all the faces lit up. He looked to Ron who gave him a small shrug. They were about to get a crash course in American politics from the southern perspective whether they wanted it or not.

* * *

As the men were berating Rhett Butler, Scarlett and Hermione had been inching down the stairs and eavesdropping on the conversation. Hermione had been in full agreement with her soulmate and was starting to get angry on his behalf. If these men even knew what the horrors of war were, they wouldn't act so trivially about it. In four years, the south would be decimated and they would spend years rebuilding. So many young men would be dead and all because they were too arrogant to think of ways to compromise. They reminded her way too much of the purebloods she left behind, fools who also happened to be on the losing side, too.

At least there weren't any dark lords she knew of lurking about this time.

As Rhett left the dining room, Scarlett and Hermione ducked behind a curtain, hiding them from view. They then watched Ashley leave and Scarlett took that as her cue to chase after him. Hermione shook her head knowing that this wouldn't end well for her accomplice. She then calmly sought out the library that Scarlett had briefly managed to describe to her before she took off.

Once she descended stairs, Hermione strode towards the hallway where Scarlett had just ducked down to see her and Ashley step into a room at the end. The door closed and Hermione was finally alone. Turning to the first set of double doors on the left, she opened one and quietly slipped inside where she could finally remove her wand from a hidden pocket in her skirt. Hermione had made sure to include this little extra with Molly as she still needed a place to store her wand. With all the fabric she had to wear now, it was a simple thing to do.

With wand in hand, Hermione started throwing up some simple charms to lock the door and silence the room to the outside. She also added in an anti-muggle charm to keep people away until she was ready to leave. Knowing that she would now remain uninterrupted, she began to relax for the first time in months.

The Gryffindor was giddy as she looked over all the books neatly placed on the shelves and discovered some interesting titles. When she saw a copy of Sense and Sensibility, she immediately grabbed it and saw that it was a first edition and signed by Jane Austen. She squealed in delight and continued to browse eagerly, wanting to find even more hidden treasures. As she was trying to reach a book above her, she became frustrated due to the bulk of her dress.

"I feel like I'm at a bloody costume party! I can't believe I'm stuck wearing this bleeding death trap and my hair makes me look like a poodle!" Hermione felt a bit better at getting to vent inside a silenced room. She then began to talk to herself as she tended to do when stressed.

"Calm down, Hermione. You're here, this is your life now. Think of Harry and Ron."

Thinking of her boys helped her to focus and just as she was about to start looking at a new set of shelves, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her war reflexes instantly kicked in so she spun around quickly and pointed her wand at the intruder's throat. After a moment she realized she was actually face to face with Rhett! He looked at her humorously and stepped back a bit with his hands up in surrender.

"Has the war started?" he asked with a smirk. "Or are they just giving out sticks to pretty ladies?"

Still in fighting mode and momentarily not interested in his sad attempt at flirting, Hermione rapidly silenced him and then also put him in a body bind. With shock in his eyes, Rhett fell to the floor, unable to move. Realizing that he was now a captive audience, Hermione decided to give him some important truths. Hopefully, she thought, he'll listen as considering the sad state of affairs of the south, she felt that he would be a valuable ally. She took a seat in a nearby slipper chair.

"Hello, Mr. Butler. I'm sure you have a million questions, but I don't have to time to answer them all right now. I didn't anticipate this particular scenario, but you've forced my hand a bit. What I'm about to tell you will be quite shocking, but I assure you I speak the truth. I'm a witch and you, sir, are a wizard. If you think you can be calm, I will release you, otherwise you can listen just as well where you are. Blink one for yes, two for no." Hermione wasn't going to sugarcoat this discussion as she didn't have the time to hold his hand. There were some things he needed to know before he took off today to who knows where. She noticed that he deliberately blinked once so she immediately canceled the spells. He then promptly stood up and stared at her in shock.

"So you're a witch and you claim I'm a wizard. I can't do what you just did. Are you sure you have the right man?" Rhett asked, confusion covering his handsome face.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Oh, and by the way, my name is Hermione Granger and I'm from the future," she answered truthfully. He started to laugh.

"The future? Why would anyone come here from the future if that was even possible? That's ridiculous," he scoffed. Hermione smirked and opened her trusty beaded bag. After rifling for a few moments with her arm extended clearly past the point of reality, she pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet from yesterday. She promptly handed it to him and he took it, cautiously. He carefully scanned the front page and then stared in awe at the moving photos.

"If you haven't noticed, take a look at the date. That was yesterday's paper, from my perspective, and I had just graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Because my test scores were so high, I was recently dubbed the 'Brightest Witch in 1000 Years'," Hermione stated and Rhett's face turned white.

"Hogwarts? I've heard that word before. I barely remember, but my father had a letter written from someone that went there. I saw it in his study before he chased me out. That is a school?" He looked to Hermione searchingly and she nodded.

"Best school of magic in the UK. All witches and wizards born there are invited to attend starting at age 11. Harry, Ron, and I were all sorted into the same house and became the best of friends. There is more to our story, but we all came here together for a reason. Before I get into that, I can tell you that you are a wizard and that your father blocked your magic as a teenager. If you allow me, I can check to see if I can remove the block and allow you access to your magic. I could also teach you everything you need to catch up. You see, I'm the best candidate for the job due to being an insufferable know-it-all," Hermione smirked, remembering Snape's moniker for her since third year.

Rhett kept shaking his head in denial. "My father is a wizard and he blocked my magic. Why?" He turned to Hermione for answers she obviously didn't have.

"I don't know, I just know that he did and that I can probably undo it. I also don't know anything about magical families in America, but I can tell you he is a pureblood and that your mother is a muggle. You are a half-blood, like my friend Harry."

"Why are you here? What was so important that you three left your life in 2009 to come here, almost 150 years in the past?" Rhett asked curiously.

Hermione knew this would be the tricky part of the tale so she just decided to get it over with. "Well, in the library at Hogwarts, I found a book which contained a very specific ritual. We had just been through a war of our own and thankfully we won." She gazed at Rhett who was obviously interested, so she continued, "I was curious to learn how love was so powerful a force that it helped bring down the darkest wizard we had ever known. In this old, dusty book, the ritual outlined how one could go about finding their soulmate and after discussing it with Harry and Ron, we all decided we needed peace so finding our soulmates became our priority. What the ritual detailed was that your soulmate could exist in the past and it just so happened all three of ours are here, today." Hermione watched Rhett's expressions as she narrated her tale and he seemed a bit uncomfortable, as if he had already figured it out.

She continued on, "Well the ritual has two parts. The first is to allow a person to see who your soulmate is and the second part connects you with them, which in our case involved time travel. We each performed the ritual and following our results, prepared for our journey, knowing that there was no way back. This was a one way trip for us and for good or ill, we are here to stay."

Rhett looked into her eyes and she could tell that he was starting accept what she said as truth. He replied, "Well, I did recognize that there was something different about you. The moment I saw you in the doorway, I was intrigued. I watched you all day as I couldn't take my eyes off you. I can imagine you saw me in your ritual, is that right?" He smirked.

"You assume correctly. I saw you as an image in my cauldron and actually I saw you as I did today when walking up the stairs. You were at the bottom, leaning on the railing, and looking up at me with a drink in your hand. With a potion, I was able to get your name, the details about your wizarding status, and where and when you were, which was here today. Harry and Ron have soulmates who are sisters, one who seems very interested and the other who looks like trouble." Hermione realized that she still needed to speak to Harry about her earlier conversation with Suellen.

"I should imagine that would be a Miss Scarlett O'Hara. Am I right?" It was obvious that Rhett had noticed the beautiful, but overly flirtatious girl as well today. She nodded.

"I hope your friend has a lot of patience as he's going to need it with her. I overheard a bit of gossip that she's quite smitten with Mr. Wilkes, but he's already set to marry a Miss Melanie Hamilton. I can't imagine that will go over well," he said and she agreed.

"She decided to sneak off to find Mr. Wilkes, most likely to confess her love, while the rest of the girls were napping. I chose to find the library as I can't understand the concept of ladies napping in the afternoon while the men are off discussing the real issues. This society is so damn backwards it's going to drive me barmy!" she raged and Rhett looked at her appreciatively.

"I take it things are much different where you're from?" Rhett asked sincerely and she smiled.

"Oh, yes. Much different, but I won't bore you with the details just now when there are more important things to discuss and I have a feeling we won't have much time." Hemione knew they were very close to war being declared and that would mean Rhett would be off blockade running. She sighed.

"I know how all of this posturing will end and I can't change it. Beyond what we've already done to get here, Harry, Ron and I need to be very careful. I told you all this since you _are_ my soulmate and deserve the truth plus we need an ally. What you do with that, only you know. I won't hold you to anything you don't wish to have. Before today, you had your own life and ideas of how to live it and I won't be the one to push you. Now that we've met, the pull I had to come here is gone. There won't be another for me that will fit quite as well, but we have the free will to choose. Regardless, I'm stuck here for life so you can have as much time as you need to decide for yourself." Hermione was truly scared of what Rhett might actually decide, especially considering everything she had to do to get here, but she remained stoic. She looked into Rhett's eyes and saw nothing but respect.

"You are a great lady, Hermione Granger from the future. I appreciate your words and will consider them seriously. I've never thought myself to be a marrying man, but for you I may reconsider." He gave her a toothy grin and she laughed.

"Marriage! Who said anything about that? In the future people date to get to know each other and then they may form a committed relationship to see how well they get along long-term. Eventually, the man may propose marriage, but women have been known to do that too, and then they get married. Unfortunately, more than half of all marriages end in divorce so many people never even try and just live together. I'd settle for now on the just getting to know you stage." She giggled at his shocked expression.

"I take it that this idea appeals to you?" she asked teasingly.

Rhett replied rakishly, "I think I'd like to see this future of yours if the social constraints aren't so rigid. It sounds like my kind of place." He grinned.

"Well, I could show you someday as I am a witch, you recall." Hermione then stood up from the chair, her skirts flaring outward. "Well, Captain Butler, I believe I will go find my friends as they must be wondering about me by now. We will be staying at Tara for the time being under the hospitality of Mr. O'Hara. I don't know what our long-term plans are yet, but I'm going to try and encourage the boys that we should move somewhere like Atlanta where we could purchase a house. I'd like to set down some kind of roots so I can unpack and get some research done."

"Captain Butler? Research?" Rhett asked confusedly.

"Well, you are planning on being a blockade runner, aren't you? I was able to find some historical references to you and that is all I will say for now. In regards to research, I've got a project in mind that's quite personal, but perhaps I will share it with you once I have some answers." She then turned and canceled all the spells she placed on the room, but before she could leave, she stepped up to Rhett and gave him a small kiss to his cheek.

"Stay safe," she whispered and then turned and left both the room and Rhett behind. He had his own plans to execute and so did she. Hermione had amazingly accomplished more with him in one day than she ever imagined. She knew instinctively that he'd be back. He was too curious and despite what she told him about not forcing a man into a relationship, he was definitely interested. She couldn't wait to see him again in a more casual setting, such as hopefully in her own home. A place where she could truly be herself in a world where she needed to don a mask.

Hermione knew for certain that when at home, she'd just be wearing jeans and tees and the dresses would be saved for the public. She figured Harry and Ron would be all over that idea, too. She couldn't wait for the three of them to have their own sanctuary where they could bring their past to life. With some wards and a few charms, no one would ever know.

 **A/N: This was a really long chapter since I couldn't stop writing until I got through the initial meeting of Rhett and Hermione. I decided to place the Trio at Hogwarts staring in 2001 to coincide with the movie franchise rather than the books. I thought giving them the extra years would allow for a greater dichotomy between time periods. It will allow me to dig into some more current ideas considering how technology has exploded. In my story, they started Hogwarts in 2001, went on the run in 2007, and finished school from September 2008 to July 2009. Up next, Rhett's POV and the Scarlett/Ashley conversation. Stay tuned!**

 **Thanks again to all who continue to support this story!**


	5. Chapter 5: War!

**Chapter 5: War!**

When Scarlett saw Ashley leave the dining room, she finally had her chance to talk to him alone. Without hesitation, she ran down the stairs as fast as her dress allowed and followed him into the hallway on the left. Knowing that Miss Granger would soon be investigating the library, she called out to Ashley and urged him to enter the room next door. He looked at her in confusion, but once they were both inside, she carefully shut the door. Scarlett took a deep calming breath and turned around to face her shining prince.

She had been waiting anxiously all day for this moment, but now that she was here, Scarlett almost couldn't find the words to express her deep love. Ashley, seeing her strange behavior, spoke first.

"Scarlett, what are you doing down here and why aren't you resting with the other girls?" She was nervous and fidgety and not at all like her normal self. She decided to just spit out what she needed to say, damn the consequences.

"Oh, Ashley, I love you. I love you, I do!"

Ashley, she noticed, didn't seem to be all that excited about her declaration. "Scarlett, isn't it enough that you have all the men here seeking your heart. I will be marrying Melanie. We are to announce it at the ball tonight."

Scarlett, determined to make him see reason, decided she wasn't going to take this dismissal lying down. "You can't marry Melanie because I know you care for me. You don't need _her_ , she's so quiet and serious. No, you need _me_ and I love you, my darling. Please say you'll marry me." She waited eagerly for Ashley to reply - her hope swelling.

"No, Scarlett," Ashley stated firmly, "we are far too different and we would never get along. Melanie and I are more suited for one another and will be married soon. You'll find your perfect match one day, you'll see, and you will thank me for telling you this."

Scarlett couldn't believe what Ashley was saying. Wasn't he the one that always came around to visit her? Didn't he always go out of his way to make sure she had a good time at all the parties? Dance with her at all the balls? Complement her on all her pretty dresses? How could he be so cruel?

"Just say it, you coward! Secretly, you'd rather marry me, but you'll only do what's expected. Instead of me, you'll have a silly meek fool who will be the perfect, doting and obedient little wife. I'd do anything for you and you're just throwing it away!"

Ashley shook his head, denying everything. "I admire your passion for life, your fire, but as far as marriage goes, Melanie and I understand each other. We have known we would marry for years, so no my dear, I will not marry you."

"How can you say that?" Scarlett asked fiercely, "You led me on! You made me believe you wanted to marry me!" She knew he wanted her - he just couldn't admit it.

"Please don't make me say things that will crush you. You will hate me for saying them."

"Why can't you say what you mean? I know you want me, but you can't admit it, you coward! Why can't you just tell the truth!"

At that point, Scarlett was so incensed, she drew back her hand and slapped Ashley harshly across the face. He stood there for a moment, shocked and speechless, before he drew himself up and calmly walked out the door. It shut behind him with a quiet click.

Left alone and feeling abandoned, Scarlett cried. Her valiant knight, her Ashley, was gone and all her future dreams were crumbling to dust. How could he marry someone else when they were meant to be? Pa hadn't thought so, but she had wholeheartedly.

What was she going to do now – now that there was nothing?

And why did she suddenly have the image of Mr. Harry Potter in her mind?

* * *

The war room concluded with the retelling of recent events at Fort Sumter so now both Harry and Ron were up to date. Because of Hermione's research, Harry knew that war would soon break out and despite knowing they'd arrive at the brink of it, they had still hoped for more time. Without a buffer, they really needed to decide quickly what to do next.

"Well, gentlemen," Harry said calmly, "you've given us much to think over. I can certainly understand your dilemma. You wish for the right to govern yourselves, but the rest of the country doesn't agree. Apparently, there is no compromise. I do have a question?" He had the feeling that this wasn't going to go over well, but he needed to sound like he was ignorant of the facts.

"Go ahead, Mr. Potter, we're all friends here!" Gerald answered jovially.

"I was wondering, is there any truth to what Mr. Butler, I believe it was, said?" Harry wanted to cringe at the shouting now going on around the room, but stayed stoic. He could tell even Ron was surprised at his nerve, but if he could take down Voldemort, he could certainly deal with this crowd.

It was Ashley Wilkes, just re-entering the dining room, who answered his question. "Well, Mr. Potter, it's true that the north has focused more on industry, while we have kept to the production of cotton and sugar cane. It's very possible they will have all the means that Mr. Butler described. But we have the passion and will to fight for our rights, and so we shall if Lincoln keeps pushing us."

That answer seemed to rally the crowd and to keep the peace, Harry nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Wilkes, for your candid answer. I believe we will have much to consider and thank you all, gentlemen, for the lively debate." Everyone looked satisfied now so Harry decided to end things on a positive note.

Suddenly, there was a shout from outside and all the men, besides Harry and Ron, quickly exited the room to see what who causing the ruckus. The two wizards calmly stepped out into the entry hall to find people running about and rushing out the front door.

"Lincoln's calling for troops! It's war! It's war!" Harry could hear the shouting being repeated from man to man, spreading like fire that war had finally come. He turned to Ron mournfully.

"Well, mate, are you ready to live through another war?"

Ron shook his head. "Not really, but what else can we do?" Harry sighed sadly.

"Yeah. Anyway, where's Hermione? We haven't seen her in a while." He tried to spot her black and white hat within the sea of scurrying masses, but she wasn't there. "Let's split up and try to find her quickly." Ron agreed and the two took off in different directions to locate their missing friend.

While crossing the entry hall, Harry had managed to successfully dodge a few men who were running towards the exit when he suddenly bumped into someone. He instinctively placed his hands on their shoulders to steady himself.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly and then looked up to see that it was Scarlett. He immediately noticed that she looked broken. Her eyes were red and he was sure she'd been crying.

"Are you alright? Do you need assistance?" Harry asked, concerned for his soulmate. Something serious must have happened and he was starting to suspect it had to do with a certain Mr. Wilkes.

"I..," Scarlett said just as they heard a familiar voice calling out for her.

"Miss O'Hara! Miss O'Hara!"

Both Harry and Scarlett turned to see Charles Hamilton pressing against the tide of people and looking around frantically. When his eyes finally caught the two of them together, Harry could tell he was very displeased. He strode directly up to Scarlett, forcing Harry to move out of the way and ignoring the wizard completely.

"Miss O'Hara, may I speak with you, _alone_?" Harry caught the tone of his voice and he didn't like it one bit. This bloke reminded him way too much of Malfoy at the moment and he was now itching to transfigure _him_ into a bouncing ferret.

"Oh, well, Mr. Hamilton, I'm sorry, but I already promised Mr. Potter I'd show him around the grounds," Scarlett lied and Charles looked extremely put out at not getting his way. "Why don't you go find India? I'm sure she's looking all over for you." She flashed him a pretty smile and he frowned. He looked at Scarlett and then Harry. Giving up, he sighed and reluctantly turned away, most likely to find the girl in question.

"Nice save," Harry stated and she looked at him sharply.

"What ever could you mean, Mr. Potter?" Scarlett was obviously trying to use her southern belle charm on him as she would any other man.

"You know, you don't have to pretend with me. I'd rather get to know the real you," Harry said plainly and she frowned.

"What do you mean?"

He smiled at her confusion, "Well, I'd like to know who the real Scarlett O'Hara is. What does she like? What does she hate? What are her dreams?"

"I, uh," Scarlett said, unsure of herself. "No one's ever asked me that before." Harry thought she looked rather shocked, as if the idea of someone caring enough to ask was inconceivable.

"Well, I just did. So?" Harry asked, trying to prompt a response from his soulmate.

"So? So what?"

"So, what do you think?" She eyed him as if he were some alien creature and she didn't know what to do with him.

"What do I think about what?" she answered, starting to become frustrated. Harry laughed.

"Me getting to know the real you, of course," he replied cheekily. She smiled.

"I guess you'll just have to find out. Now, I think we should go find Pa to see what's happening. I doubt there will be a ball anymore and I was so looking forward to dancing!" Scarlett sighed wistfully and Harry cringed, remembering the horrible experience he had at the Yule Ball fourth year.

"Um, dancing?" Harry asked and Scarlett looked at him oddly.

"You don't dance?" she asked astonishedly. He shook his head.

"I never really learned properly and I think I have two left feet. You are welcome to try and remedy that if you think you'd be up for it." The southern belle took one serious look at Harry and replied, "I'll have you dancing circles around any of the other men by the next ball, I guarantee it."

Harry was glad to see some fire in her eyes now. The way she looked when he initially bumped into her almost broke his heart. He really did hope she could see her way past Ashley Wilkes and he'd do all he could to see it happen.

"Well, I suppose we should go look for Mr. O'Hara to see what he'd like to do next." She nodded in agreement and the two set off together to find the elusive Irishman.

* * *

Ron hadn't any idea where Hermione could be. If he only knew where he was going, he'd try to find the library, but with no knowledge of the layout of this mansion, he'd just have to keep looking. If only he had a Twelve Oaks Marauders Map...

"Mr. Weasley!" Ron, surprised at hearing a female voice calling out for him - other than Hermione's that was - turned around to see Suellen standing behind him. She looked lovely in her pink dress and he started to blush thinking that he would be speaking to her directly for the first time.

"Uh, hello, Miss O'Hara," he said nervously and she smiled. "How are you?" he blurted out suddenly and then felt like kicking himself for spitting out such a lame question.

Obviously nervous herself, she answered, "I'm alright, but I'm concerned about the war now that it's starting. So many people will be running off to enlist." She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Will you be enlisting or will you head back to England to avoid the war?" Ron thought this was a good question. What will they do?

"I don't rightly know. We just got here and we hadn't thought about any wars breaking out just as we arrived. I'd have to talk with the others to see what they want to do as I can't speak for them." He knew they would be staying, of course, but they needed to have a realistic plan.

"Miss Suellen!"

Ron saw the girl cringe at the voice calling out for her and she suddenly grabbed Ron's hand to drag him behind a pillar and away from the sight of Frank Kennedy. The wizard had seen Mr. Kennedy participating in the war talk today, but other than that, he seemed kind of quiet.

He whispered, "What's going on?" Suellen shushed him and quickly peeked around the pillar. Mr. Kennedy, not seeing her in the hall, turned around and went back outside. Once he was gone, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"So what was that about?"

Suellen looked at Ron uncomfortably, as if she really didn't want to answer the question, but she finally relented.

"Well, Mr. Kennedy has been my only beau. I think he was looking for me before heading out to enlist. I didn't want to see him in case he proposed."

Ron frowned, "So, you're taken, then?" He didn't like the idea that his soulmate was already committed to someone else.

She hurriedly replied, "No! There was no arrangement or understanding and he's been sweet on me, but I think I found someone who would suit me better." Suellen immediately looked shocked, as if she couldn't believe what she'd just said.

Ron asked hopefully, "Who?"

Suellen took a deep breath and boldly replied, "You."

Ron grinned in relief at her answer and she smiled brightly at his positive response. Encouraged, she suggested, "Let's go find Pa to see what's going on now that the men are leaving." He agreed and followed after Suellen, completely forgetting about a missing Hermione.

* * *

Rhett Butler was speechless and damn it - he was never speechless! In less than a day, his whole world had shifted its axis as he not only learned he was a magically restricted wizard, but that he also had a soulmate. A very beautiful one to be sure and one who also proved to be from the future. He couldn't begin to imagine what life was like in 150 years, let alone how it would feel to travel that far in the past, but he was now determined to find out.

Rhett watched the door close behind the beautiful Miss Granger and then realized he was still holding the newspaper she gave him. He examined the front page closely, just to be sure he wasn't losing his mind, and sure enough, it appeared the same as before. The Daily Prophet, it was called, and dated incredibly on July 5, 2009. The glaring headline read: "The Brightest Witch in 1000 Years!" and beneath it there was a photo of the same girl he just met in what appeared to be some kind of robes. She had posed with the two men here today, Harry and Ron, and they were all smiling. He couldn't help but smile, too, as she looked happy.

It was incredible to think that Miss Granger would make such a leap just for him. He was a man everyone would rather ignore because of a few lousy mistakes in his youth. A man who then decided that society could go to hell and he'd strive to profit from it. Peoples' memories were just too long and their forgiveness too hard to win. Rhett thought he could live forever without a good reputation, and he would have merrily continued to carry on that way, at least until a certain witch waltzed into his life. Now, he hoped Miss Granger would never be dragged down into the mud with him.

He had never cared before, but now, he wasn't so sure.

Rhett sighed, realizing that he should soon leave if he wanted to make today's train back to Atlanta. He looked at Miss Granger's picture wistfully one last time before folding the paper and tucking it into his inside jacket pocket. He'd read it later when he was alone and would hide it afterward.

Even he realized that no one could ever know.

The future blockade runner, a decision he now knew was the right one, opened the library door and exited the quiet room into chaos. As he looked down the hallway, he saw men and women running everywhere and he found Mr. Kennedy frantically searching about.

"Mr. Kennedy, I was in the library and obviously missed something big. What's going on?" Rhett asked and the awkward gentleman hurriedly replied, "Oh, Mr. Butler, it's war. Lincoln's calling for volunteers and all the men are heading off to enlist. I will be too, but I first need to get you back to Jonesboro. The barbeque is over so we can leave when you're ready. I was just looking for Miss Suellen and can't seem to find her anywhere." He kept looking around and it was obvious the girl must have ditched him. For Mr. Weasley, perhaps?

"Well, I'm at your disposal so as soon as your business here is done, I'll be ready to go," Rhett replied, hoping to catch one last glimpse of his angel in black and white before he departed.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Butler, thank you!"

Mr. Kennedy then took off leaving him standing in the hallway. He shook his head knowing that the poor man's heart was going to get a licking. Whether it be before the war, or if he survives - after, he's still in for a rough road.

At least Rhett didn't have these issues.

While waiting for Mr. Kennedy to return from his futile search, he decided that a brandy and cigar would hit the spot. He moved across the emptying hall and returned to the place he had dramatically left earlier in the day. Rhett immediately approached the sideboard holding the liquor and poured himself a healthy measure. He took out one of his cubans from the gold case he carried and lit it with a match he found nearby. With a drink and tobacco in hand, he sat down at the elegant plantation table and leaned back, enjoying the solitude.

Rhett didn't mind, really, spending time alone. He'd been alone for so much of his adult life that it had become second nature. He would take part in social activities when necessary and, of course, he would visit Belle's for poker and entertainment, but for the most part, he remained by himself. The entrance of Miss Granger into his life was an unexpected delight, but it also brought complications.

He hadn't figured into his life that he'd find someone that could complement him so well. He was even considering marriage! Marriage, an institution that was in these times - for most - a miserable experience and entered into mainly for the sake of acceptable procreation. Women didn't feel like women unless they married and when men did, they carried on outside the marriage as if it didn't matter. As long as the wives were preoccupied with the children, they felt entitled to play.

His partner Belle had made them each a lot of money by catering to that crowd.

Now, Rhett thought, things were different. How could he still visit all the women he entertained in every port if he had someone like Miss Hermione Granger waiting for him? Even the idea of touching another woman now left him cold. How was he going to handle being separated from her for so long? He'd just met her and he already regretted the fact he had to leave. She didn't seem too torn up about it, and she was being rather pragmatic, but there was definitely a connection. One for which the idea of spoiling it with loose women made him feel ill.

Rhett sighed, thinking he'd have to take matters into his own hands from now on. He then took a large sip from his drink and began to reflect on how this day started.

* * *

The morning dawned brightly as Rhett awoke exhausted. He had stayed up way too late playing cards with the men loitering about the Jonesboro Hotel. He had easily cleaned out their pockets and figured he'd won enough to cover this trip twice over. He reached across the bed for his pocketwatch sitting on the nightstand to find that it was only 7am. Rhett realized he still had an hour to go before he had to meet up with Mr. Frank Kennedy for business dealings over breakfast.

Mr. Kennedy. What a character he was! A nervous nelly with some decent business sense which was what brought him to Clayton County in the first place. The man may have issues, Rhett thought, but what he also had was cotton, and lot's of it. He intended to buy as much as he could afford and ship it out from Charleston. The cargo would go into storage in Nassau until the demand for it escalated, thus driving prices up. He'd then be sitting on a pretty penny as long as he was willing to wait it out, which in his estimation wouldn't be too long now.

From what he knew, Mr. Kennedy was a fair man so the transaction shouldn't be too complicated. Rhett figured it would be an easy deal and then he could be on the train later today back to Atlanta. He'd wait for the cargo to be transferred onto a train to Charleston before he'd be on his way, too. Rhett would personally oversee it's loading onto his new ship which would then sail off to the Bahamas. He would be on board, of course, to ensure it was stored properly. Once the war started, he would gather up all the things Southern folks would be craving and unable to get for themselves due to Yankee blockades. After the harbors were cut off, it would take men like himself to risk life and limb to save the day.

Well, that and make a hefty profit doing it.

Now that Rhett was awake, he got up and began dressing for the day. Since he was conducting business, he felt he should wear his nicest day suit as it left the best impression. He donned his gray trousers, a white shirt, a silver waistcoat, his black and white checkered cravat, and his black suit coat. Rhett had always thought he cut a striking image by wearing this suit and for some reason he felt like he needed that today. He decided not to question it.

Once he was ready, Rhett made his way downstairs to find Mr. Kennedy already waiting for him. After a brief salutation, they both moved to the dining room where they were quickly seated. Once their orders were placed, they began their discussion.

"So, uh, Mr. Butler," Mr. Kennedy stammered, "you're looking for cotton. I've got quite a bit stored up and ready to move for the right price." Rhett held back a smirk as he could easily tell this man was a negotiating novice. He decided he'd go easy on him - for now.

"Yes, Mr. Kennedy, I'm in need of a large quantity and heard from one of my business acquaintances that you were the man to see when it came to cotton." Flattery always helped so Rhett threw in a bit to grease the wheels.

"Oh, um, I don't know about that as there are quite a few of us here with quality cotton stored up, why the Wilkes' alone are rolling in it!" Rhett almost cringed at the awkwardness of his dining companion, but since he needed to get this deal sealed, he ignored it.

"Really? I knew Clayton County was famous for its cotton, but I was given your name as the best contact in the area." More flattery and from the look on Mr. Kennedy's face, it was working quite well.

"Well, thank you. I have 200 bushels available and I suppose I could let it all go for fifteen cents per pound." He seemed happy with that amount and Rhett had to counter. The price was good, but he was hoping for a bit better.

"The amount is about right, but I was thinking more of twelve cents per pound." Mr. Kennedy's eyes bugged out at the new price, which was probably more than he was really expecting. Rhett thought he should invite him to play poker sometime as all his moves were clearly written across his face. He watched as Mr. Kennedy tried to refocus on negotiating.

"Hmm, twelve isn't bad, but I'd be willing to drop down to thirteen cents and not a penny less." Perfect! He was going to get this load for a steal and as he suspected that cotton was going to go for well over a dollar per pound in a few years, he'd make a small fortune. He had the money so all he needed now was delivery.

"Well, Mr. Kennedy, you drive a hard bargain, but I can live with thirteen cents per pound. I have the cash on me so all we need to discuss now is delivery. I must head back to Atlanta on the afternoon train and would like to have everything arranged before I leave." Rhett smiled outwardly, but on the inside he was laughing hysterically. Mr. Kennedy looked ecstatic and before he could answer, their breakfast was served.

The two men enjoyed a leisurely meal and decided on a time when the cotton would be shipped to Atlanta where Rhett would personally take delivery. As he was feeling generous and knew that Mr. Kennedy was as honest as the day was long, he decided to pay him all up front as a show of goodwill. Rhett hoped that this connection with Mr. Kennedy would keep him in cotton for a while and if it couldn't, perhaps the simple man would point him towards his next mark. He was thrilled at the possibilities for expanding his fortune and the upcoming war would be his meal-ticket to real riches.

Rhett was a self made man and he hoped his father would choke on his success.

With business now concluded, Mr. Kennedy asked, "Uh, Mr. Butler, if you don't have plans while waiting for the train, would you like to come with me to a barbeque at Twelve Oaks Plantation? It's owned by Mr. Wilkes who is the one I said had a lot of cotton. The events at Twelve Oaks are always the highlight of the season and you would have the chance to meet all the other planters in the county."

Hmm, Rhett thought, having barbeque would beat sitting around the hotel all day. He still had hours to wait so he figured why not. If nothing else, he could have a fine meal and explore one of the many plantations in the area.

Who knows, he may just have some fun, too.

"Well, Mr. Kennedy, a barbeque sounds delightful. When are you expected to arrive?"

He replied, "Well, I wanted to get there around 9:30 so I could catch Miss Suellen early when she arrives." Rhett stared at the man, hoping for a bit more of an explanation.

"Oh, Miss Suellen is my sweetheart. I plan to marry her when she's a bit older and with the talk of war, I want to spend as much time as I can with her before I'd have to enlist."

Ah, Mr. Kennedy has an object of affection. How sweet. Rhett could care less, but, he forced himself to be congenial.

"Congratulations, then, Mr. Kennedy on your future nuptials. She must be quite the girl to catch your eye." He knew he was laying it on thick, but Kennedy didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, thank you! Miss Suellen O'Hara is the sweetest girl in the county. She has an older sister, Scarlett, who's quite the belle herself, but my heart is with my Suellen." Rhett forced out a smile.

"If you wish to be there at 9:30, what time would we need to leave. The clock on the wall is reading almost nine." Mr. Kennedy gasped.

"If you're ready to go now Mr. Butler, we should start making our way there. Believe it or not, folks start arriving early at Twelve Oaks when there's a barbeque as they're not something to be missed."

Rhett nodded and then took care of the check. Mr. Kennedy was very grateful and it was the least the future blockader could do for pulling the cotton over the poor man's eyes on this deal. Plus he took it out of his substantial poker winnings from the night before. So far this trip had been very lucrative and now he'd get to have barbeque at the largest plantation in Clayton County. Not too bad for a quick trip to the country.

They made their way to Mr. Kennedy's carriage and were soon on the road to Twelve Oaks.

* * *

The ride was awkward as Mr. Kennedy kept trying to sing the virtues of his Miss Suellen while Rhett just wanted to enjoy the day. This countryside was quite beautiful in spring, but nothing compared to his Charleston. He'd be back there soon and even though he was still cast out of the family, he always tried to catch a glimpse of his mother and sister while in town. Rhett really hoped that he'd get the chance this time before sailing off to Nassau with his newly acquired cargo.

At around 9:20, Mr. Kennedy's carriage turned into a long drive towards a magnificent Greek Revival framed by lofty oak trees. It was quite the setting and he understood now why people would flock here for parties. The display of wealth was impressive so he knew Kennedy wasn't kidding about the Wilkes' rolling in cotton. Any transaction he'd try with the owner of this plantation would never go as smoothly as the one he just brokered. Someone this rich knew exactly how to manage their money.

And could spot a shady deal a mile away.

Soon, they pulled up in front of the estate's expansive portico where guests were already entering the large home. The two men exited the carriage and Mr. Kennedy immediately greeted the owner, Mr. John Wilkes and his daughter who was standing next to him. He then proceeded to introduce Rhett.

"Mr. Wilkes, I'd like you to meet a business acquaintance of mine, Mr. Rhett Butler. Mr. Butler, this is Mr. John Wilkes, owner of Twelve Oaks, and his daughter India." Rhett could already tell that the wheels were turning in John Wilkes' mind and when the connection was made, he saw the shift in his demeanor.

"Well, Mr. Butler, what brings you to Clayton County?" Ah, he wanted to know what he was up to, Rhett thought, as us shady types need to be watched.

"I've just concluded a business transaction with Mr. Kennedy and he kindly invited me along for the barbeque. I won't be able to stay as I'm leaving for Atlanta later this afternoon." He made sure that it was clear he wouldn't be lingering in the area.

"Very well, Mr. Butler, enjoy the barbeque." Rhett knew then that he was dismissed. He supposed that this was a bridge he'd never get to cross anyway. Oh, well, at least he could enjoy another good meal before catching his train.

Rhett stepped into the house and he instantly knew these Wilkes' were over the top. The entry hall alone with it's sweeping staircases screamed of opulence and it felt like someone had been trying to overcompensate for something. He almost snorted at that thought, but luckily, he kept his poker face intact.

Walking around, Rhett observed the many men and women who had already flocked here for today's events. There was much chatting and mingling going on and he had no desire to take part in such niceties. He would try to keep to himself and see if he couldn't pick up on any interesting gossip. One never knew when a piece of information spoken carelessly could be turned into future profit. He did notice, however, that his traveling companion was skulking about the front door obviously waiting for his true love. Rhett wondered what type of girl found the odd Mr. Kennedy appealing.

He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

After about fifteen minutes of scanning the hall, seeing nothing of particular interest, he caught two gentlemen enter through the front door followed by a vision. As the men stepped to the side and out of the way, he was able to get a clear view of the goddess behind them.

She was an angel in white - yet edged in greek keyed black. Her face was delicate and her hair was set in chestnut ringlets, but her eyes were piercing - as if she could see right through to your soul. The beauty carried herself like a warrior, as did her companions, and he was instantly enthralled. Rhett knew then that he needed to meet this woman before she returned to Olympus - never to be seen again by a mortal such as him.

He watched the trio of newcomers converse and he suddenly had a twinge of jealousy. He realized he felt envious that they already knew her and he did not. He was never jealous! She seemed very comfortable with the two men, one dark haired and the other red, and he wondered what their story was. Rhett decided he would watch them all day, very studiously, to see if he could learn it for himself.

As he was staring in her direction, she suddenly stopped speaking and looked up to catch his gaze. When his eyes met hers for the first time, it was if a fundamental shift happened within him. Rhett felt strange, as if something important had just occurred, but he had no idea what it was. Unexpectedly, she smirked at him, which caught him so off guard he started to laugh. The woman then began speaking to her cohorts again while he heard a female voice call out -

"Ashley!"

Rhett turned his attention towards the voice and saw another beautiful girl dressed in green and white. It was quite a scandalous gown to be wearing at this time of day, but she obviously didn't care. He went back to looking at the trio and saw the dark one's eyes intently track the girl up the stairs where she eagerly spoke to a blond haired gentleman. The woman in white watched her friend stare at the girl and started to speak to him regarding her, he guessed. Rhett could tell the overly flirtatious one in green was trouble and if he hadn't seen his goddess first, he'd probably try to chase her just for fun. Even though he wasn't interested in her now, he did think watching her antics today could be quite amusing.

He was definitely glad he came now.

Rhett continued to watch as the blond escorted the flirt towards a second woman who was dressed very conservatively in comparison. It appeared to him that the man and the modest mouse were an item as the blond lovingly wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. As the three were talking, this act of intimacy bothered the flirt quite a bit, but she tried to wave it off. The bold girl in green then quickly parted from the couple and proceeded to flirt her way up the stairs, even with Mr. Kennedy to Rhett's surprise. It dawned on him then that this must be the famous Miss Suellen's sister, Scarlett. She then paired up with another girl to apparently gossip their way to the second floor.

Rhett shook his head, thinking about the trouble that girl will be to the man who ultimately snares her. He then suddenly realized that he probably dodged a very large bullet by seeing the beautiful angel in white first. Reminded of the dark haired gentleman who had been staring at the flirt earlier, he looked back over at the enigmatic trio to see the red head practically drooling over a girl in pink. Rhett grinned to himself because he now knew the guardians were already enamored by other women, which meant his goddess had to be unattached.

It also meant that Rhett still had a chance.

The woman said something to the two men before walking away as they were waving her off. Now that she was without her bodyguards, he figured he could find some way to approach her without their interference. Just as he was stepping towards his angel, the girl in pink got to her first.

Damn it!

Rhett, uncharacteristically frustrated at his missed opportunity, turned to see a house slave pass by with a tray of juleps. Impulsively, he grabbed a glass hoping that the drink would cool him down a bit. While tracking the girls' progress up the stairs, he decided to move forward to get a closer look. Rhett made his way over to the staircase and realized that the railing made an excellent spot to lean on and still have an excellent view.

As he watched, his angel turned to look down at him and he almost felt his heart stop. Rhett had never felt this way before and it made him both excited and petrified at the same time. He gave her his charming smile and she looked like she had seen a ghost. After a moment, she recovered, and continued speaking with the girl in pink until they were out of his sight.

Curious about the other two strangers, he turned to where they had been standing to see a boisterous Irishman call out to them.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! There you are! How about I show you around and introduce you to all the young bucks of the county? There's no need for you both to just stand around here all day when there are plenty of folks for you to meet!" Rhett saw the newcomer slap the dark haired one on the back causing the man wince a bit. He replied, "Thank you Mr. O'Hara. Mr. Weasley and I would be delighted. Please lead the way." The red head chimed in agreeably "That would be wonderful. Thank you, sir." Mr. O'Hara then guided the two men over to the blond from earlier and struck up a conversation.

So Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley were English. That meant that his lovely angel was also an English rose. That bit of knowledge made her even more intriguing and Rhett couldn't wait to make her acquaintance. Maybe he could even catch her at the barbeque?

He could hardly believe that this was turning out to be a fantastic day!

* * *

With the barbeque finally ready, all the guests were ushered to the back yard where a veritable feast awaited them. Mr. Kennedy was right - Rhett could definitely see why no one would want to miss one. He scanned the area for his English rose, but she was nowhere to be seen, although he did find Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley entering the buffet behind Mr. O'Hara. Rhett strode to the end of the growing line and waited his turn to select a portion of each offered dish. Once he was satisfied with his plate, he noticed that the two Englishmen were now sitting at a table set for four, so he chose a nearby table to keep an eye on them.

Shortly, to his satisfaction, the two missing ladies exited the mansion and proceeded to enter the line themselves. After making their way through, they turned to see the two vacancies. They both approached the table where the two gentlemen stood, waiting to assist them into their chairs. Once seated, they all began to eat the wonderful food prepared to perfection.

While he was enjoying his meal, Rhett began to watch everyone else and he immediately noticed the flirt surrounded by suitors. She didn't even sit at a table so they could all congregate around her as if she were a queen holding court. He watched her flirtations with each oblivious man while she kept a careful watch on the blond man in which she was clearly smitten. The man, however, was completely fixated on the modest mouse, much to the flirt's dismay. Rhett could see the dejection on her face and he almost felt bad for her.

He then looked over at his rose and she raised her head just in time to catch him staring. To his astonishment, all she did was raise a questioning eyebrow and he couldn't help but smirk back. This was his kind of woman as she had plenty of fire, but still kept it under refinement. In return, she gave him the most brilliant smile he'd ever had directed his way. It was so genuine that it warmed him and melted a bit of his iced over heart. He knew then that before he left, he had to introduce himself.

Rhett couldn't let this one get away.

* * *

Following dessert, the time of the day he'd been dreading had finally arrived. The ladies were dismissed to take their naps while the gentlemen took to brandy, cigars, and talk of war. Even though he was a southerner born and bred, he had no desire to fight in any war. His time at West Point was enough to cure him of that. He would have never gone in the first place if it hadn't been for the pressure of his father. After he was expelled for too many demerits, which he had accumulated for enjoying the libations of Benny Havens and taking a hazing prank too far - his father was furious. The nail in the coffin came when he was twenty and he foolishly took a buggy ride with that idiot girl. The carriage had an accident and he gets her home intact only to hear that he either has to marry her or lose his place in the Butler family. He declined, of course, and when the girl's brother called him out, he used his West Point training and took him down. Once the brother died, so did his standing in Charleston. Rhett was then kicked out with only the clothes on his back so he did what he had to do for survival. Now here he was here all these years later and he was still considered a pariah.

He truly hoped his rose would understand.

The men filed into the dining room where everyone was offered a drink and, if desired, a cigar. Rhett stepped to the back of the room and took out one of his own cubans. While a heated discussion evolved, as he predicted it would, he stood out of the way simply enjoying his cigar and, with cynical amusement, listening to what the county folk had to say.

The bragging and boasting wore on and Rhett, of course, had heard all this dialogue before in other places. Southerners can beat the Yankees because we're gentlemen, Yankees don't know how to fight, and the most unrealistic statement to date – the war will be over in a month. Mr. Ashley Wilkes, the famous blond gentleman, was the only one of the group that seemed to have any sense, but when Mr. O'Hara ultimately brought Rhett into the debate - he decided to be blunt. They all needed to hear the truth - even if they chose to live within their dreams of a victorious south.

"Well, gentlemen, I think it takes more than rhetoric to win a war."

"What do you mean, sir?" Charles Hamilton questioned indignantly.

Rhett replied plainly, "What I mean, Mr. Hamilton, is that the north is well equipped for war. They have industry – factories, shipyards, coal mines, foundries, and a fleet that could bottle up any southern harbor. They'd do their level best to starve us to death and all we have is cotton, slaves, and arrogance."

"I won't listen to your traitorous, renegade talk!" Rhett watched this little upstart try and intimidate him and he found it comical, but he managed to keep a straight face.

"I'm very sorry that the truth offends you."

"Apologies aren't enough, sir!" The pup even had the gall to stare him in the eye. "I've heard, Mr. Butler, that you were not only turned out of West Point, but that you are no longer received in Charleston, not even with your own family."

Ah, the low blow. Too bad it wasn't low enough. He could easily squash this insignificant bug for the insult, but he still needed to get to Atlanta tonight. Rhett smiled.

"I do apologize for all my obvious shortcomings." He then turned to the host of the party. "I hope you don't mind, Mr. Wilkes, if I walk about and take a look at your place. I seem to be ruining everyone's brandy, cigars, and dreams of victory."

Rhett gave the silent crowd a shallow, mocking bow and then left them to it. He had heard enough about Lincoln to know he would go to significant lengths to preserve the Union and deal with the slavery issue. These men just didn't have the foresight to understand that this way of life was about to become extinct. He just hoped that his rose's two cohorts weren't sucked into their illusion.

Since he now had some time, Rhett thought he'd borrow a page out of the ladies' book today and take a nap himself. He had been operating off only a few hours sleep plus he still had a bit of a train ride later. A short rest was just what he needed now that the was again persona non grata.

Rhett stepped quickly across the entry and strode down the hallway opposite of the dining room. To his left he found a set of double doors and felt that this room may have potential. He opened one and peeked in to see a well equipped library. If he wasn't so tired, he may have perused the shelves, but once he spotted a couch facing the fireplace, he knew he had found a nice spot to rest. He closed the door and proceeded to claim the fairly comfortable sofa. Rhett stretched out with a cushioned pillow under his head and he breathed a sigh of relief. As he closed his eyes, he envisioned his rose as he saw her at the barbeque – smiling brightly just for him. He smiled also remembering all the other times she'd already surprised him today.

Rhett hoped he would dream of her.

Just as he was settled in, he heard the door open and after some rustling of what he thought were skirts, he heard the door close. What came next really confused him, though.

"Colloportus, silencio, repello muggletum."

He knew enough latin to understand the they were words meant to lock the door, have silence, and repeal...muggles? What on earth was a muggle and why did he suddenly feel a strange shift in the air?

Rhett stayed still while he heard a woman gasp and squeal in excitement. He sat up quietly where he could see his rose with a book in one hand and was apparently struggling to reach another one.

"I feel like I'm at a bloody costume party! I can't believe I'm stuck wearing this bleeding death trap and my hair makes me look like a poodle!"

If he wasn't trying to stay inconspicuous, he would have been laughing hysterically at her outrage. The sound of her voice confirmed his belief that she truly was an English rose.

"Calm down, Hermione. You're here, this is your life now. Think of Harry and Ron."

Hermione? He wondered if her name was inspired by Shakespeare. Harry and Ron? She must be referring to Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. What did she mean by her life now? Rhett was becoming more and more intrigued with her by the minute. Unable to hold back any longer, he rose from the couch and approached her silently from behind. He needed to introduce himself and now that he had her alone, he wouldn't waste this opportunity. Rhett placed his hand on her shoulder gently to get her attention, but what happened next was a great surprise.

Whipping around quickly, Hermione had a stick jabbed into his throat. The fierce look in her eyes confirmed his original assessment that she was a warrior. To help deflate the situation, he stepped back with his hands up in surrender. Rhett then figured some humor was in order.

"Has the war started?" He threw her one of his classic smirks. "Or are they just giving out sticks to pretty ladies?"

Obviously, that was the wrong thing to say as she determinedly pointed the stick at him and shouted, "Silencio! Petrificus totalis!" He tried to open his mouth to say something else, but found no words would come out. He then felt his body snap and fall to the ground helplessly. With only a few words, this woman had him completely disarmed. Rhett looked at her with some degree of fear while she just found a seat in a nearby chair. She looked at him in resignation.

"Hello, Mr. Butler. I'm sure you have a million questions, but I don't have time to answer them all right now. I didn't anticipate this particular scenario, but you've forced my hand a bit. What I'm about to tell you will be quite shocking, but I assure you I speak the truth. I'm a witch and you, sir, are a wizard. If you can be calm, I will release you, otherwise you can listen just as well where you are. Blink one for yes, two for no."

What was this woman going on about? Magic? It didn't exist, did it? If it didn't how could she have single-handedly taken him down with only a stick and a few words? He blinked once, deciding he needed to learn more about what what happening here.

"Finite incantatum," she said and suddenly he was able to move. Rhett stood up quickly and stared at her in shock.

"So you're a witch and you claim I'm a wizard. I can't do what you just did. Are you sure you have the right man?" He was confused on how she thought he could do magic. He was certain he'd never made anything happen before just by using a few words.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Oh, and by the way, my name is Hermione Granger and I'm from the future."

The future? How could anyone travel through time - the idea was insane? He started laughing and then noticed she was completely serious.

Rhett scoffed, "The future? Why would anyone come here from the future if that was even possible? That's ridiculous."

Hermione smirked at him this time and then opened up the little beaded bag she had with her. She rifled through it for a few moments before extending her arm past the elbow. Her arm kept reaching into the bag, which should be impossible. Rhett felt like he was losing his hold on reality and finally Hermione pulled out what she had been looking for. She handed something to him and he took hold of it cautiously, not knowing what would happen next. He looked at the item which turned out to only be a newspaper. He scanned the front page and the first thing he noticed was that the pictures moved. Rhett watched in awe as the scene within the frame kept repeating.

"If you haven't noticed," Hermione stated, "take a look at the date. That was yesterday's paper, from my perspective, and I had just graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Because my test scores were so high, I was recently dubbed the 'Brightest Witch in 1000 Years."

Hogwarts? Rhett thought back and suddenly recalled where he had seen that name before. He felt the blood drain from his face.

"Hogwarts? I've heard that word before. I barely remember, but my father had a letter written from someone that went there. I saw it in his study before he chased me out. That is a school?" he asked searching her eyes for the truth. She nodded.

"Best school of magic in the UK. All witches and wizards born there are invited to attend starting at age eleven. Harry, Ron and I were all sorted into the same house and became the best of friends. There is more to our story, but we all came here together for a reason. Before I get into that, I can tell you that you are a wizard and that your father blocked your magic as a teenager. If you allow me, I can check to see if I can remove the block and allow you to access your magic. I could also teach you everything you need to catch up. You see, I'm the best candidate for the job due to being an insufferable know-it-all." Hermione then smirked at that last bit.

Rhett shook his head, still not believing all of this. "My father is a wizard and he blocked my magic. Why?" He looked at her as if she could fill him in on the truth.

Hermione replied, "I don't know, I just know that he did and that I can probably undo it. I also don't know anything about magical families in America, but I can tell you that he is a pureblood and that your mother is a muggle. You are a half-blood, like my friend Harry." Rhett had no idea what any of that meant, but he did wonder why they were here.

"Why are you here? What was so important that you three left your life in 2009 to come here, almost 150 years in the past?"

Hermione looked at him and must have decided she should share her secret.

"Well, in the library at Hogwarts, I found a book which contained a very specific ritual. We had just been through a war of our own and thankfully we won." She looked at him to gauge his reaction and he had to admit to himself he was too facinated not to hear the rest. Hermione continued, "I was curious to learn how love was so powerful a force that it helped bring down the darkest wizard we had ever known. In this old, dusty book, the ritual outlined how one could go about finding their soulmate and after discussing it with Harry and Ron, we all decided we needed peace so finding our soulmates became our priority. What the ritual detailed was that your soulmate could exist in the past and it just so happened all three of ours are here, today."

There it was. The reason why he felt so strange today and why he was so fixated on her when no woman had ever held his attention. He was unsure how he should process this new information.

"Well, the ritual has two parts. The first is to allow a person to see who you soulmate is and the second part connects you with them, which in our case involved time travel. We each performed the ritual and following our results, prepared for our journey, knowing that there was no way back. This was a one way trip for us and for good or ill, we are here to stay."

She can't go back? Rhett didn't know how to feel, but he knew she was telling the truth as he could see it in her eyes. He replied, "Well, I did recognize that there was something different about you. The moment I saw you in the doorway, I was intrigued. I watched you all day as I couldn't take my eyes off you. I can imagine you saw me in your ritual, is that right?" He smirked.

"You assume correctly," Hermione confirmed. "I saw you as an image in my cauldron and actually I saw you as I did today when walking up the stairs. You were at the bottom, leaning on the railing, and looking up at me with a drink in your hand. With a potion, I was able to get your name, the details about your wizarding status, and where and when you were, which was here today. Harry and Ron have soulmates who are sisters, one who seems very interested and the other who looks like trouble.

Ah, the flirt and the girl in pink. Things were making a bit more sense now.

"I should imagine that would be a Miss Scarlett O'Hara. Am I right?" he asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded and Rhett continued, "I hope your friend has a lot of patience as he's going to need it with her. I overheard a bit of gossip that she's quite smitten with Mr. Wilkes, but he's already set to marry a Miss Melanie Hamilton. I can't imagine that will go over well."

"She decided to sneak off to find Mr. Wilkes, most likely to confess her love, while the rest of the girls were napping. I chose to find the library as I can't understand the concept of ladies napping in the afternoon while the men are off discussing the real issues." Rhett could see her getting more agitated and she had his complete attention. "This society is so damn backwards it's going to drive me barmy!"

Rhett was shocked at her outburst, but he loved a woman who could speak her mind.

Wait, love? Why on earth was he thinking about love?

"I take it things are much different from where you're from?" he asked, truly wanting to know how everything was done in the future.

"Oh, yes. Much different, but I won't bore you with the details now when there are more important things to discuss and I have a feeling we won't have much time." Rhett wondered what was so pressing that she felt there wasn't enough time.

"I know how all this posturing will end and I can't change it. Beyond what we've already done to get here, Harry, Ron and I need to be very careful. I told you all of this since you _are_ my soulmate and deserve the truth plus we need an ally. What you do with that, only you know. I won't hold you to anything you don't wish to have. Before today, you had your own life and ideas of how to live it and I won't be the one to push you. Now that we've met, the pull I had to come here is gone. There won't be another for me that will fit quite as well, but we have the free will to choose. Regardless, I'm stuck here for life so you can have as much time as you need to decide for yourself."

Rhett pondered over what she said and then looked into her eyes to see the fear of rejection. He didn't like the sight of it at all because he instinctively knew she was a brave, strong, and incredibly intelligent woman. How could he show anything but respect for her now that he had heard her story?

"You are a great lady, Hermione Granger from the future. I appreciate your words and will consider them seriously." Rhett almost laughed at what he was going to say next. "I've never thought myself to be a marrying man, but for you I may reconsider." He flashed her a bright smile and she laughed.

"Marriage! Who said anything about that? In the future people date to get to know each other and then they may form a committed relationship to see how well they get along long-term. Eventually, the man may propose marriage, but women have been know to do that too, and then they get married. Unfortunately, more than half of all marriages end in divorce so many people never even try and just live together. I'd settle for now on the just getting to know you stage."

What! What kind of world did she come from? Rhett was brought out of his shock by Hermione's giggles.

"I take it that this idea appeals to you?" she asked with a hint of teasing in her voice. Oh, yes, he thought he'd like that concept.

"I think I'd like to see this future of yours if the social constraints aren't so rigid. It sounds like my kind of place," he answered rakishly. He couldn't help but grin at the idea of having so much freedom.

"Well, I could show you someday as I am a witch, you recall," Hermione stated as she stood from the chair. She continued, "Well, Captain Butler, I believe I will go find my friends as they must be wondering about me by now. We will be staying at Tara for the time being under the hospitality of Mr. O'Hara. I don't know what our long-term plans are yet, but I'm going to try and encourage the boys that we should move somewhere like Atlanta where we could purchase a house. I'd like to set down some kind of roots so I can unpack and get some research done."

"Captain Butler? Research?" How did she know about his plans and what kind of research did she want to do?

"Well, you are planning on being a blockade runner, aren't you? I was able to find some historical references to you and that is all I will say for now. In regards to research, I've got a project in mind that's quite personal, but perhaps I will share it with you once I have some answers."

Rhett watched Hermione turn and start canceling the spells she had cast about the room earlier. She then approached him and daringly gave him a small kiss on his cheek.

"Stay safe," she whispered and then suddenly, she was gone and he was left alone.

Rhett felt a sense of loss at her departure and his cheek still tingled from the presence of her lips on his skin. He decided right then that no matter what, he would find her again. He would get his operation up and running once war was declared and he'd make sure to return to Atlanta as often as possible. There was no way he was ever letting Hermione Granger escape now that he knew the truth about her and himself. Rhett had finally met his match and now he had to prove he deserved her.

Besides, she left him speechless and damn it, he was never speechless!

* * *

Rhett was brought out of his reminiscing by the presence of Frank Kennedy.

"Oh, I finally found you, Mr. Butler. Are you ready to go? I couldn't find Miss Suellen so she must have gone home." He saw that the man looked extremely put out over that fact, but Rhett decided he'd be sympathetic as he himself was now in a very good mood. He rose from the chair leaving his glass and extinguishing his cigar.

He replied, "I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Kennedy. I'm ready to head back to the hotel so I can check out and wait for the train. You are going off to enlist with others now, yes?"

They were now walking towards the front door where Rhett could see Mr. Kennedy's carriage parked and waiting.

"Yes. I've got a duty to serve for the cause and I'll be right there with the rest of them. Don't worry, I'll have your shipment on tomorrow morning's train to Atlanta as promised. I have to tie up some other ends before I can report for service and that will be my first priority." Rhett nodded.

"That sounds fine. I know you will take care of everything." Mr. Kennedy gave him a nervous smile and climbed up into the carriage followed by Rhett. Once seated, Mr. Kennedy asked, "So are you glad you came with me today?" Rhett grinned showing off his extremely white teeth.

"Oh yes, Mr. Kennedy. I think today has been one of the greatest days of my life."

Mr. Kennedy shook his head in confusion, but in the end, decided he didn't want to know. How the falling out with all the rest of the gentlemen today could make him happy, he couldn't ever imagine. Oh, well, Frank thought, at least I made $13,000 today and with the war starting, he could finally enlist. Today's earnings would make a nice nest egg for him and Miss Suellen after the war. Maybe he'd even start a store in Atlanta...

The carriage drove away with both men secretly daydreaming about their women. It was too bad that only one of them really had a chance at a happy ending.

 **A/N: Wow! That took me a while to get this one done. I really wanted to get through Rhett's POV before concluding the chapter. I'll be moving back over to Harry and the Tara group next time. I'm going to focus on my Hermione/Salazar story for a bit now, but I'll be back. Hope you enjoyed this installment as I loved writing Rhett's part!**


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